Cascade
by Out0fMyHead
Summary: This is a companion to Ripple In Time featuring Ginny Weasley and Lucius Malfoy. Adult Content, GW/LM
1. Prologue

Ginny flipped her issue of witch weekly closed for what had to be the fifteenth time and sighed. Her brother sat a short distance away, his eyes focused on the broom that currently demanded all of his attention. Hermione was gone, off doing whatever it was she did with Professor Snape, her nose wrinkled.

She wondered what it was like, to fall in love? So far she'd not had _that_ particular experience and she was quite okay with it.

Of course, she'd had crushes, Dean Thomas and her had dated for quite some time before she realized he never touched her.  
Gay.

Of course he had to be bent. She nearly snorted to herself thinking back on it and ran her fingers through her hair. And then there had been Harry, she'd had a thing for him for quite some time, and again she'd been attracted to someone who was very, very, not attracted to her gender.

She cleared her throat and shifted, Ron's eyes flicked over to her.

"Would you stop fidgeting, it's annoying." He grumbled and she cocked an eyebrow at him but said nothing. The magazine flicked back open.

Even her brother had finally found someone to settle with, Harry's little sister Rose was the sweetest girl, she leveled the menace that was her brother rather nicely, if she did say so herself.

So, this was what it came down to, their group of friends was a crazy one, of that she was certain. Hermione was attracted to older men, Harry attracted to boys, Ron had a sex drive that bordered on out of control, and she was attracted to gay men.

It made perfect sense, of course she'd always find herself attracted to people she couldn't have.

She sniffed, her nose twitched a little at the sharp scent of something burning.

"Ron, is that…" Her question was never finished, a loud crack that reminded her strangely of thunder spiked through Gryffindor tower, she was thrown from her seat on the sofa, through the dust she could just make out her brother smashing into the wall.

Her lungs rejected the thick dust that hung in the air and she gave several violent coughs, trying to move through the rubble on her hands and knees, feeling about for her wand, which was nowhere to be found. She felt the magazine slip on the floor beneath her knees and she almost lost her balance, thank goodness for quidditch or she may have fallen chin first into the hard stone floor.

A mad cackle bounced off of the damaged walls and a figure began to cut through into her vision, tall and broad, he waved a hand in front of his face, a cane held gingerly in the other.

"Oh, for the love of Merlin." She groaned when she realized who was there, and exactly what was happening.

"Cease your dallying, Bella, we will be caught if we do not go." His eyes locked on Ginny who made a rude noise and turned her face.

"Now, now, Lucy, don't be rude!" The crazed witch cackled, Ginny rolled her eyes. She was related to that woman, however distantly, it was a troubling thought.  
"We'll need to take something with us for our troubles." She laughed again and Ginny shook her head, a coughing fit stealing any words she may have had as she was snatched up off of the floor and unceremoniously tossed over a broad shoulder.

She wasn't sure if it was that she was still dazed, or that the coughing fit had taken it out of her but she hung there limply, eyes still scanning the floor, rubble and all for her wand.

"Accio wand!" She cried, a last-ditch effort through coughs and as her wand came zooming toward her Lucius Malfoy snatched it in midair and gave a deep chuckle.

"Thank you, saved me the trouble of attempting to find the bloody thing."

"Arse." She grumbled, barely managing to get the words out as he walked away with her slung over her shoulder, violent coughs shaking her abdomen against him.


	2. One

Ginevra Weasley liked to think she was not a soft witch. It was well known by everyone her family was not wealthy, or even particularly comfortable by pureblood standards. What she was however, was a witch born to a family that knew one another, that loved deeply and cared for all of those around them. She had two wonderful parents who gave her all of their love, and nearly a half dozen brothers who would go to the ends of the earth for her- well, maybe not Percy, but, there always was _one_.

More than any of that though she was not a witch born to a family of blood touting bastards, and she was certainly not sheltered.

No, coming from a family of all boys, all of whom were older than herself she'd had her fair share of self-defense lessons.

So why was it she was allowing herself to be toted away? That was the thousand knut question, after all. She could fight, scream bloody murder, draw the attention of anyone who may be around, she had a set of lungs- or so Ron complained when she yelled at him.

She couldn't quite understand the train of thought she was experiencing. She could have very easily hexed the skin from Lucius Malfoy's pretty face before he'd snatched her up off of the floor in the tower, she could have done something, anything.

But she didn't, no instead she was slung over his shoulder and trying to take deep breaths.

She knew Hermione must be worried sick- if she knew she was gone already, she hoped Ron was okay, and she was glad the Potters had left early in the evening, going home for the Holidays. She couldn't imagine Rose in such a situation, the girl would cry and cry, she would want her mum and dad.

No. It was best that Ginny had been the one there, she could handle this. She was tough, she was her mum's daughter after all. She'd observed the way Molly had molded each of her brothers, and her father, exactly as she'd wanted them to act, she'd watched the woman stand up to any threat that came her way with grace and poise.

She would be okay, if she didn't pass out from lack of oxygen, that was.

"I can't breathe, brute." She grunted and he bounced her on his shoulder with a dark chuckle.

"Better, princess?"

"You should be ashamed of yourself, attacking a school full of children." She couldn't see his face but it was as if his entire body radiated his smug smirk, she could simply sense it.

"I am well aware there were very few children present at the time of our assault, Ms. Weasley, do try again." His voice was smooth as honey, and deceptively polite. She frowned.

"Where are you taking me?" She let her arms hang limply down his back, her hands balling into fists intermittently.

"We're going to ransom you, I believe. My sister in law is quite mad, she believes the mudblood will come to us if we dangle you from the proverbial window." His voice was soft, melodic and calm. Ginny tugged a thick bunch of long silvery blonde hair.

"Don't call her that, bastard." His hiss made it very clear her method of attack had, at the very least, stung.

His hand smacked down on her bum and she screeched, her legs kicked wildly.

"You should not dare to presume that you may cause me physical pain, in any capacity." In response to his cold tone Ginny slammed her hand down into his back, hard.

"You're lucky I haven't beat the bloody hell out of you, you're nothing but a privileged, weak, condescending male." She huffed, slamming her fist into his back again.

He huffed a breath, his back aching where she hit him. The witch packed quite the strength behind her little fist, especially for one so small. His experiences with women had always been those in his family, tall and willowy, not short little beasts like the one he currently towed.

"Do stop being so difficult, I could easily knock you out, or do you forget you are without a wand?" She pulled his hair again and he growled.

"You wouldn't, I'm not sure why, but you would have already if you were going to." She bit snidely, Lucius smacked her backside again and she kicked- again, hoping to land a well-placed kick with a pointed shoe right into his groin.

No such luck, however, he was far too tall and her legs were not at the right angle.

"Impertinent witch, stop this struggling nonsense or I will feed you to Bellatrix."

"Not scared." She kicked again and he grunted in response.

"As soon as we are off these grounds we will be apparating, you will cooperate or you will suffer my wrath." He threatened through clenched teeth. Why hadn't he simply knocked her out? It would have made this so much easier.

"Still not scared." She huffed, arms crossed as she allowed herself to go limp once more.

For all her talk, she was actually quite concerned.

She hoped they wouldn't torture her, she gulped, no, that would be bad.

"If you will cooperate you have nothing to fear, Ginevra." He exhaled, his arm that gripped her around her waist holding tighter. It felt like a strange hug and she wrinkled her nose.

"If you will cooperate you have nothing to fear…" She mimicked in a high-pitched voice, her face contorted, arms still crossed.

"Petulant child."

"You have no bloody idea, and I'm not a child, old man."

"I am hardly an old man." He huffed, Ginny tugged his hair again and he gave a low snarl.

"You are trying my patience."

"You are trying my patience." She mimicked again, well aware she was definitely pushing her luck. She wondered just how far she could push the haughty blood purist.

"Stop this, this instant."

"Give me my wand and I'll stop it all. You won't ever open your eyes again." She huffed, tugged at his hair again and screeched at the smack to her bum.

"Stop that!"

"I, for some reason, highly doubt you will hurt me, perhaps it is my years of experience over your own." His tone was haughty, it shot bolts of sharp irritation straight through Ginny.

"I reiterate, old man." Lucius huffed and dropped the witch to her feet, they'd reached the apparition point and her stomach flipped.

Shite, this was really happening? Bloody hell how was she going to get herself out of this?

She tried to take off running but he caught her by the arm and tugged her into his chest, caging her with long arms.

Her stomach flipped and she was certain she would vomit as they spun in place, dissapparating with a loud 'pop'.

LMGW

Sidealong apparition had never been one of Ginny's favorite methods of travel, in fact, if given the option between sidealong and licking a toad she was almost certain she would lick the toad. Her head spun as they landed on the grand lawn of Malfoy Manor and she had to bend at the waist, her hands propped on her knees to catch her breath.

"Next time, must maybe, you could do that a bit less violently." She huffed, trying to catch her breath as the Malfoy elder stood beside her, pristine as ever, not a hair out of place and she scowled.

"To be honest, Ms. Weasley, I am surprised you managed to keep your dinner where it belongs." He smirked and Ginny gave him a hard look as she straightened her back. Her hands brushed across the soft fabric of her handmade sweater, a gift from her mother for Christmas the year before, in Gryffindor colors. She was wearing a pair of shorts underneath that left her legs bare to the bite of the cold air they'd apparated into.

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, looking around at the grand lawn. It was spectacular, no matter how much she wanted to deny it- it very literally took her breath away. Much like Hogwarts had the first time she'd laid eyes on it.

The white stone of the drive was bright in comparison to the deep green hedges that bordered the property, but it was the peacocks, the pale white peacocks that really stole one's attention as they gazed across the grounds.

"Lovely, isn't it?" He smirked at the awed look on her face and she immediately turned up her nose and gave a low huff.

"If you find pompous over extravagance lovely." She hmphed and gave him a raised eyebrow, as if to say 'well, are we going to stand here all night?'.

"Impertinent child."

"Old bastard." His hand grabbed at her upper arm and he all but hauled her into the Manor, curses flying from his lips, under his breath, faster than she could keep up with.


	3. Two

"You will be free to go anywhere within the Manor that you please, do try not to break things, however." Ginny furrowed her brow at his icy gaze, he looked like he would rather be anywhere but standing in her presence and while she definitely understood, she'd rather be anywhere else herself, it was him that had done the snatching.

She hadn't forced him into her presence, in reality it had been the exact opposite.

"You really think it's a good idea to let me have free reign?" She cocked an eyebrow at him, her full lips pursed. Strange, and where were his wife and son? Surely, they were about somewhere, and surely they wouldn't want her running amok, for lack of a better term.

"The wards will not allow you to leave, the elves will clean up after you, I hardly see why it should be a problem."

"What if I kill you while you sleep?" He smirked, stormy eyes sparkled in the dim fire light. Ginny wasn't sure why it made her stomach flip, nervousness, maybe?

"You won't." He cleared his throat and glanced around quickly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have much work to complete." He turned to leave, Ginny stopped him by clearing her throat and when he turned to face her again she furrowed her brow.

"Why are you so interested in stopping muggleborns from being equals?" It was a genuine question. Her best friend was a muggleborn, her other close friends were the children of a muggleborn witch, how could he think it was logical to take away their rights?

"They do not deserve the same rights, they are lower than us, and the sooner they understand and accept that, the better."

Ginny cleared her throat as he made to turn again and he stopped, barely able to hear her whispered words.

"But they aren't, less than us." She turned and walked away, straight red hair blocking his view of her face as she went.

LMGW

"Oy, am I just meant to sleep in the floor or, well, what?" Ginny popped her head into the office Lucius had been occupying for the better part of the evening, it was getting late, and she was tired. It was her first full day in Malfoy Manor and he'd not told her where to sleep the night before so she'd passed out on a sofa.

She'd woken up with a crick in her neck and a sour mood to match that of Percy's daily attitude, the House elves avoided her like the plague and she was happy for it. She'd contemplated setting the Manor on fire a few times, but then, she'd stopped herself and instead made herself busy by hiding random items in different rooms.

Well, it was entertaining, and when he went looking for them- things like his set of very expensive quills he kept in the library- he wouldn't be able to find them, and there was at least a little bit of justice in that.

She hadn't seen even a glimpse of the blonde all day however and she was incredibly, indescribably bored.

"I obviously know you would prefer I sleep in the floor like the old bastard you are but I had hoped, just maybe, you were feeling a little less irritable today." Came her smarmy voice and he frowned at the parchment in front of him.

"You seemed to have no problem sleeping last night."

"Are you kidding? I woke up in the worst pain of my life! I've taken bludgers that hurt less than your furniture." She grunted as she slipped further into the room, arms crossed across her chest. Silvery eyes shot up to glare at her and she brushed the hair off her shoulder, her face carefully blank.

She wanted to get on his nerves, but she wanted to sleep in a bed more.

"I have a question," he leaned back, looking for all the world like an ancient ruler, and folded his fingers across his stomach, his quill steadied in a pot of ink, "why have you not attempted escape?" He cocked a moonlight eyebrow and she froze.

 _Breathe, breathe, breathe. Bloody hell!_ She cried out in her head, why hadn't she tried to escape? Any other time she would have tested the wards, to see if she could slip past them.

She finally managed to suck a subtle breath and pursed her lips at the blonde.

"You have my wand." A smirk settled itself on his face.

"Yes, a hand me down wand, I'm sure you are just so desperate to keep it." The little redheaded witch sneered at him from across his desk and stomped a little foot. It deepened his smirk.

"It _was_ my uncle's wand, before he died." She grumbled, fingernails biting into the flesh of her arms where they were crossed. He certainly knew how to push her buttons, didn't he?

"Yes, your uncle's wand, not even deserving of your own wand, are you, little witch." She growled low in her throat, her muscles coiled, she looked ready to launch herself at him and it sent a little thrill of some kind of sick pleasure through him.

He found he quite liked riling up the little witch.

"Perhaps you should try again, maybe you will be able to come up with a better reason to not have attempted escape." He tipped his head, a cocky look on his face. Ginny stewed.

"You are the biggest prick I have ever had the displeasure of meeting!" She cried, turned and stormed from the room, the mirror behind him shattered and he turned to look at the broken glass, a mix of surprise and disinterest on his face.

A powerful little thing, wasn't she? To be able to destroy something without a wand, or a word. He must have really made her angry.

He found her, later that evening, curled into a shivering ball on one of the many decorative sofa's that littered his sitting room. Her arms were wrapped around her torso and her legs pulled up to her chest.

It twisted an odd discomfort in his gut and he grunted his displeasure. She looked incredibly uncomfortable, and cold.

He brushed long locks of pale blonde hair from his face and bent to pick the witch up. She was a surprisingly heavy sleeper and didn't even shift as he carried her, none-too-gently from the sitting room sofa to a guest room on the second floor.

When she was in the cream-colored room, deep emerald sheets pulled up over her shoulders he paused and watched her for a moment. The emerald of the sheets and duvet around her accented her pale skin and bright red hair rather nicely, giving her a softer look whilst she slept.

"What in Salazar's name are you thinking, Lucius?" He growled at himself and turned from the room, his posture stiff as he all but glided down the hall and to his own chambers.

Empty again, it annoyed him to no end that his wife was gone, gone with his son. He growled his irritation as he began to disrobe, remembering to sleep in his shorts as there was a young witch in his home.

And why, why was she in his home?  
He should have sent her to stay with Bella and been done with it.

He cringed inwardly at the idea, he knew exactly what would happen to the witch if she stayed at the Lestrange house. His nose wrinkled rather inelegantly as he slid into his cool sheets- one thing to be said for not having his wife any longer- his bed was always cold.

No, he couldn't have left her to the mercy of the wolves, she was a pureblooded witch after all, her lineage was valuable, no matter how unfortunate it was her family were a bunch of blood traitors.


	4. Three

"Get off of me!" Lucius woke to a screech, silvery eyes snapped open as he tried to orient himself.  
"I said get off!" Another screech and he groaned, pulled himself over the edge of the bed and brushed his fingers through his hair.

 _Must have been a dream._ He told himself, looking up to the painting of his grandfather that occupied his rooms, a few uncles were also there, chattering lowly.

"If I had my wand you would be dead right now!" The panic that bubbled and drifted from the voice was enough to snap his eyes wide.

"It would appear your young guest has some company." His uncle Malefious commented with a wicked smirk and it was with a tight chest he realized that he was no longer alone in his home.

"Merlin's balls." He growled, flung himself to his feet and summoned a robe even as he was out his door and into the hall. He shoved his arms into the sleeves, his gait elegant as he breezed down the hall and into the room of one Ginevra Weasley.

One Ginevra Weasley who had a rather wild eyed Barty Crouch Jr. hovered over her, pinning her down and licking his lips in the ridiculous way he was prone to do.

"I do not recall, Bartemius, were you invited to my home?" His cool voice nearly surprised him, inside he was a stewing cauldron of rage, ready to blow at any second.

How dare someone enter _his_ Manor uninvited, how _dare_ he attempt to force himself on a pureblooded witch in _his home_ , blood traitor or not.

Beady eyes shot to glare at Lucius, the redhead beneath him ceased her squirming, pleading eyes landed on his face. Had anyone ever looked at him like that? As if he could help them?

He couldn't recall a time, no.

"Much as I understand the inclination to have one's wicked way with the witch…" Grey eyes locked with sparkling brown, her lips were pursed and he could tell she was fighting tears, rather valiantly at that.  
"…Perhaps it would be best we do not leave a pureblood witch with any lasting scars from your particular affections." He crossed his arms across his chest, attempting to remain stoic despite the aggravation that still bubbled inside him, so close to the surface.

Too close.

"Bella said," _lick_ , "I could have her." He grumbled, beady eyes still locked on Lucius in the doorway. He brushed a hand through his hair, attempting to tame the long blonde locks. He certainly wasn't fit to face down a fellow Death Eater looking as though he just leapt from his bed.

 _How inconvenient._

"Bellatrix is not the lady of this Manor." Lucius cocked a moonlight eyebrow and smirked at the look on Barty's face. He was considering this, while the idiot was thinking Lucius took a moment to summon his cane, and thus his wand to his hand, his eyes narrowing.  
"Would you like to test my patience or will you dismount Ms. Weasley?" He cleared his throat, fiddling with the top of the cane and waiting with a feigned patience.

"Fine," _lick_ , "but I'll have my prize, one way or another. Bella has promised me." He slipped from the redhead who took heaving breaths, she watched with wide eyes as he passed Lucius at the doorway, the blonde wizard's heavy gaze never leaving the slightly shorter Crouch Jr.

"Dobby!" A house elf with downturned ears and sad eyes appeared beside him, his eyes on the floor.

"Yes master, what can Dobby be doing for master?"

"See that Mr. Crouch finds his way out." He watched the elf shuffle away behind the Death Eater and he hadn't even a chance to turn to face the bed again before there was something latched around his torso. He looked down to find the crown of a red head. Blonde brows furrowed.

She held onto him as a squid would, her arms all tentacles as she grasped him tightly around his broad torso. He patted the girl's head, thoroughly unsure what to do with the redhead who'd done nothing but spit venom at him since he'd met her as an unruly child with her father at work.

Soon she tore herself away from him and backed up, her arms wrapped around her torso.

"If I promise not to hex you can I have my wand?" Her voice was firm, she didn't sound nearly so shaken as he'd expected but still he was forced to shake his head, his arms still lax on either side of his body.

"I'm afraid not. I have no way to be certain you will not hex me in my sleep, as you've so elegantly threatened." He cocked an eyebrow when glimmering brown eyes locked onto his face and he couldn't help the smirk that crawled its way onto his face.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again." She grumbled, her eyes narrowed, her red hair clung to the sides of her face and he exhaled, rolled his eyes, and leant once more against the doorframe.

"Yes, well, then I will relocate you to my own room." Her jaw dropped, her face appalled.  
"You may sleep in the floor." His smirk deepened, he was not surprised when the witch snapped her mouth closed and shot him a look that under any other circumstance, with any other wizard, may have been frightening.

"Why don't _you_ sleep in the floor."

"Do not be ridiculous, I couldn't possibly. Imagine what it would do to my posture." He scoffed, the redhead crossed her arms across her chest and stomped her foot.

"You're mad!"

"Not nearly as mad as your admirer, Ms. Weasley." A visible shudder ran through the redheaded witch.

"Disgusting." She stuck her tongue out and turned around.  
"You're sure you won't just give me my wand back."

"Apologies." He didn't sound sorry at all, not even to his own ears.

LMGW

"Prick."

"Yes."

"Git."

"Of course."

"Tosser."

"Quite."

"Wanker."

"Mmhmm."

"Pillock."

"Have you anymore ways of saying the same thing?"

"Prat."

"Ah, so you do."

"Berk." Ginny tossed a bunch of red hair over her shoulder as stormy grey eyes locked on her face.

"Have you finally run out?"

"I'm sure I can come up with more."

"I have no doubt, Ginevra."

"Ginny." She grumbled, her toe snubbing at the floor beneath her. "I hate Ginevra."

Lucius cleared his throat and shook his head, leaned back in his chair and stared at the witch who'd conjured her own chair in his study, wandlessly.

He'd been impressed, even if he'd never admit it.

"Tell me, Ms. Weasley, what is it you typically do over the Holidays, if we can find entertainment for you perhaps you will _leave me in peace._ " The redhead wrinkled her nose and leant forward, elbows propped on her knees.

"You kidnapped me, if you think I'm leaving you alone for one second you've gone barmy."

"Barmy! You've managed another one!" He ran both hands through long blonde hair and sank back further into his chair. He wouldn't be getting any work done with the redhead pestering him.  
"Then, perhaps you will join me for a meal instead." He grunted, standing and motioning for the witch to do the same.

As in all things she was stubborn and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Do not make me imperious you, Ginevra, I take no pleasure in forcing women to do my bidding." He grunted, walking to the door and shooting her a stormy look.

"Ginny." She huffed and he shook his head, inhaling a deep breath.

"Have you any positive qualities?"

"I could make you break out in purple boils."

"That is _not_ positive."

"Why would I show you my positive qualities? You _kidnapped me._ " She reiterated, watching as the blonde wizard ran a hand down his face and heaved a deep breath.

"Yes well, would you have preferred I allowed Bellatrix to kill you?" She went rigid in her seat, her brown eyes wide.  
"Now, dinner?" He cleared his throat, she gave a little nod and stood, ignoring his offered hand and storming out ahead of him.

How on earth was he going to cope with having the witch in his home for any extended period of time?


	5. Four

Ginny looked up from poking at the meal in front of her with a soft sigh, her fork discarded as she stared at the silvery-blonde wizard across from her. She had to admit, there was a certain elegance in the way he moved.

Even the way he held his fork was regal.

The soft blonde wisps of hair that escaped their strict confines after a day of working brushed at his cheeks and his stormy eyes were settled rather adamantly on his plate in front of him.

"Why didn't you let Bellatrix kill me?" It was bugging her, bugging her more than she would like to admit. His eyes shot up, locking onto her face and he cocked a blonde eyebrow, his lips pursed.

"What?" He sounded annoyed, annoyed and confused, Ginny shook her head with a soft chuckle and leaned back in her seat, brown eyes trained on the wizard across from her.

"I asked why you didn't let Bellatrix kill me?" She cleared her throat. "You made it sound like that was very much the plan when you attacked the school."

"It was her plan, yes." He nodded, his own fork pinging off of his plate as he too sat back. They were locked in a sort of staring contests, their eyes boring into one another.

It was strange to Ginny, that this man was able to meet her row for row, it was rare she met anyone who could take her with such grace.

She wanted to understand, understand the multiple layers that seemed to make up Lucius Malfoy, and there were several layers, she could see them, sparkling beneath his diamond-like exterior. Yes, he kept the best, and harshest parts of himself at the fore.

She wanted to see what else was there.

"Then why?" She wasn't surprised at his own seeming shock at her attitude, she'd not exactly been sweet to him. She'd been obnoxious, amplifying the parts of her personality that she knew would make him unhappy. Unfortunately, she'd had quite a lot of fun acting that way, but now, now she really needed to know.

He'd surprised her with that little tid-bit of information. That she had almost died, it was enough to surprise her into a different state of mind.

Lucius cleared his throat again and furrowed his brow, his stormy eyes still locked with hers.

"What does it matter, the why? I stopped her, your death did not come for you so young, is that not enough?"

"No, it isn't. I want to know why you stopped her." She crossed her arms, her gaze still locked. "And don't tell me because of my blood, I know that isn't true."

"And if that is exactly the reason?" His face looked pinched, annoyed.

"It isn't."

"I believe it is time we retire, Ms. Weasley." He slapped his napkin down on the table and stood, the legs of his chair scraping angrily across the marble floor.

Ginny's face changed, a look taking over that he couldn't quite decipher.

"Alright then." She stood herself, much more calmly, and quietly, and he watched as she took the stairs two at a time. She was just about to round into the room he'd placed her in the night before, she stalled just there in the doorway, her eyes locked on the bed and her chest heaving for a moment.

She jumped at the hand on her shoulder, it was large and warm, impossibly warm.

"You shouldn't sleep in there, Ginevra." She gave a soft nod, her chest still heaving as she backed away, he pulled the door closed when she was clear of it, blocking her sight of still rumpled sheets.

He watched her, as she walked ahead of him toward his own room, that was exactly why, that fragility.

There was something dangerously soft in the boisterous Weasley girl, something soft, something that made him want to guard it. He set his face, eyes narrowed.

No, it was nothing like that.

LMGW

"I believe that two bodies worth of pillows is more than enough to keep me away from you, Ginevra." Lucius stared at the mound of pillows that split his bed in half, more than half. His usually luxuriously large bed was not a fraction of its usual size. The redheaded witch had shoved so many pillows down the middle, forcing him to summon more from guest rooms, that he was certain he would regret allowing her to share his bed at all.

"After this morning I've decided one can never be too safe." She snipped matter of factly and he rolled his eyes, annoying little chit. He was nearly hanging off of his own bed because of her ridiculousness.

No matter, he would wait until she was asleep and then vanish all but a row of the pillows so that he could get comfortable.

The fairy lights that lit his room faded as the redheaded witch wiggled in the bed, making the mattress bump and shift much more than one would expect from someone so small.

"Could you please, please be still." He growled out, his voice heavy and tired. He heard her sigh and snagged his wand from his nightstand, relighting the fairy lights and propping his head up on his arm so that he could see the witch over the mound of pillows.  
"What exactly is the problem, Ginevra?" He raised both eyebrows and she glanced over at him, the covers were pulled up to her chin, red hair splayed across the pillow.

She was quite the sight, her petite little form huddled in his large bed.

He shook his head. His mind was drifting, and not in the direction it should be.

"It's too cold in here." She managed, her lips pulled into a thin line as she stared up at him. He exhaled.

"A warming charm then?"

"Won't help."

"Of course not."

"I'm not just being difficult! This place isn't anything like anywhere I've stayed before." She bit her lip. An insecure action he'd not seen from the little redheaded witch.  
"And after this morning…" She trailed, glancing around, her eyes locked on his door.

"You will be fine, he won't be coming back." Lucius managed to sound bored, as if he had no interest in this conversation.

"Easy for you to say! It wasn't your virginity that was almost taken!" She turned a bright, bright shade of red and he couldn't help the widening of his eyes.  
Well, there was no way he could have known the seventeen-year-old witch was untouched, was there? No, it wasn't his fault!

And honestly, if he recalled correctly, those things were typically gone years before! There was no way he could have known.

He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling incredibly uncomfortable. She rolled, her back facing him and curled around herself. His brow furrowed.

This was why he was glad he'd not had a female child. No, women were far too complicated, far too worrisome.

Far too much trouble.

Narcissa had been with at least three men by the time he'd married her right after Hogwarts! How did a witch make it to adulthood without having done anything?

He was tempted to ask. He was tempted to turn out the lights and pretend the conversation never happened.

He furrowed his brow. Draco was eighteen, she had to be at least seventeen, didn't she? He thought back, trying to remember. Was he thinking her older than she was?

"How old are you, exactly?" He finally managed, voice low in the quiet room.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She snipped, her voice pinched and he rolled his eyes, he found himself doing so a lot lately.

"Just answer the bloody question." She rolled to face him, brown eyes locked on his face.

He could see little flecks of gold in their depths, deeper browns mingling and making them sparkle.

Oh Circe, he needed to go to sleep, it was obvious he'd had more wine than he'd first assumed.

He was not a poetic man, interested in the depths of witch's eyes. He was a Death Eater, a Politician, a wealthy wizard of pure blood status.

"I'm seventeen." She blinked. "Now you'll be wondering why I haven't been with anyone yet. Well, if you must know, I only find men who are completely not interested in me attractive. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to attempt to sleep." She rolled, snatched a pillow from her blockade and slammed it over her head, and promptly pretended he did not exist.

When she was finally asleep the pillow fell to the floor and Lucius glanced over at her, the pillow blockade gone with a wave of his wand.

In sleep she looked incredibly peaceful, the dusting of freckles across her face and the halo of red hair adding to her angelic quality.

It honestly didn't matter what Bella had said, Barty, Bellatrix, no one would be touching the little redheaded witch.  
Not if he had something to say about it.

And Lucius Malfoy had something to say about everything.


	6. Five

Ginny woke up warm, comfortable, and confused. There was a body beside hers, arms wrapped around her and hair tickling the side of her face.

Now, there were a few options as to what was happening, the whole Malfoy issue had been a dream and she was at home, asleep with her mum.

The body behind her didn't feel soft like her mum, though, in fact it felt like hard lines and firm muscles.

She blinked again and took a deep breath, an attempt not to panic.

The person didn't smell bad, in fact, they smelled incredibly good, like expensive cologne and something deep, musky. It was a man, that much was obvious.

So, if it wasn't her mum, and it was a man, that meant she was still in Lucius Malfoy's bed.

That also meant her pillow blockade was gone, now, was it Lucius curled against her or someone else? Had Bellatrix sent someone else to try and rape her? Maybe they'd gotten bored and fallen asleep?

She took a deep breath, a shimmering bundle of blonde hair was tickling her face out of the corner of her eye. Nope, not someone sent by Bellatrix, that was good at least.

It was definitely Lucius Malfoy spooning her.

She shimmied, tried to shift away from him and the arm around her waist tightened, holding her in place. She gasped, fidgeted, and tried again, only to be held back a second time.

Her brow furrowed.

He must think she was his wife, in his bed? That was the only answer she could come up with.

And it made sense, she'd been wondering where Narcissa Malfoy was from the moment she'd been brought to the Manor. She assumed the woman was off doing whatever it was wealthy witches did.

So that was it, he assumed she was his wife, back from whatever trip she was off on and he was spooning her because of that.

Now, how did she get out of this situation without being completely embarrassed?

And why would she be embarrassed? Because she liked it, she was enjoying the way he felt curled around her?

No! That wasn't it at all.

She cleared her throat, hoping to wake him gently. Maybe in his half awake state he would simply roll away, let her go and she could get up and flee.

No such luck, he continued to hold her and she shimmied. She was mortified when she shifted and felt something prod at her hip.

His other hand. It was his other hand. It had to be. It couldn't be anything else.

Yes, yes, that's what she was going to tell herself.

She shifted and winced when he muttered something, his fingers splayed across her stomach.

Merlin his hands were warm, warm and big! She needed to move!

She rolled, shifted, shimmied, and tried to pry his hand away but all of this only made him grasp her to his front tighter.

Her eyes were wide, her head tipped back looking at his face when stormy grey eyes snapped open. She pulled her lips into her mouth, wincing a bit and watching for his reaction.

He stared at her, looked down at her waist, at his arm, he looked back up at her face, back down.

He seemed to be taking a moment to register exactly what was going on and she squeaked when his fingers tightened, as if testing to see if she was really there.

He cleared his throat, his hand withdrawing slowly, dragging across the skin of her hip and leaving a searing warmth in its path.

"Ginevra." He exhaled, pulled himself back slowly with a nod. She gave a matching nod.

"Good morning." She managed, she could feel her face, it was incredibly warm, she shuffled further to the edge of the bed, watching as he slid slowly away.

"Is it?" He grunted, slipped from the bed, and walked away, she kept her eyes averted.

It was his other hand, and if looking at him would disprove that then she wouldn't be looking.

LMGW

Lucius grunted as he lifted his body again, his chin pulled up over the bar and then lowered. Again, again, again, his muscles burned, his body ached, still he continued.

When he dropped, after fifty repetitions his torso was slicked with sweat, still he didn't stop, the low bun on the back of his head smacked his neck as he forced himself onto the floor. He rolled onto his back and hooked his arms behind his head.

He was feeling incredibly rigid, his entire body white hot with stress as he continued to push himself to the limit. He often took to exercising like this, especially when he was feeling particularly stressed.

When Narcissa had first left him this was where he found himself spending much of his time, physical activity soothed something in him, something that raged. The anger, the hatred, the fire that burned low in his gut could only be expelled when his muscles were spent, when his body hurt with the exertion.

Only then could he find his center, only then could he feel calm enough not to do something irrational.

And Circe, waking curled around Ginevra Weasley, her firm skin soft beneath his hand, her body pressed against his. It had been enough to ignite that fire, the fire he kept dull and dimmed, the fire he'd forced away years upon years ago when his marriage to Narcissa Black had been arranged.

He'd felt that fire, in his school days, he'd allowed it to burn him up, allowed himself to be lost to those sensations.

Not again, never again. Love was for the weak, suffering was for the wicked, and he'd aligned himself with the wicked, just as he was expected to, from an incredibly young age.

He took a deep breath, the sweat dripping from his face annoying him, a spell would stop it, but then the burn would linger.

The burn, the burn, it wasn't going away.

When he heard a throat clear he felt it intensify, the monstrous sensation that threatened to eat him alive. Grey eyes flicked to the doorway, a petite redhead stood there, arms crossed across her chest as she watched him.

Sparkling brown eyes took him in, shirtless, blonde hair in a loose bun at the nape of his neck. He forced down the snarl and sat up, watching her.

"Can I help you, Ginevra?" She blinked a few times, watching him with a sort of dumb admiration that he'd not found himself on the receiving end of for quite some time. His body ached, he needed to keep going, he needed to keep pushing.

"Dobby said it wouldn't be a good idea to interrupt you but, but I made you lunch." She held a plate he hadn't noticed she was carrying out, an offering.

"Dobby is a wise elf, you should listen to him." He bit, his eyes back on her face. Of course he'd not noticed the plate, he'd been too busy staring her down. She shifted, awkwardly, and gave a little nod.

"It just, it isn't good to overdo the workout without feeding your body, it will make you sick." She put the plate down on a table just inside the doorway and backed away, arms crossed behind her back. He glanced over the food, a simple sandwich, thick with meat and, now he was paying attention a large glass of water.

He cocked an eyebrow, looking back to the witch.

"It would seem to me you would hope I would become sick." She furrowed her brow, her lips pulled into a thin line.

"You're a prick." And with that she turned and walked away, leaving him alone, the burning demon still assaulting his insides.

She should have left him alone, like Dobby had instructed.

The elf knew, he knew better than anyone exactly how Lucius could be when he was not left to himself at these times.

Still though, somehow he managed to stand and walked to the little table, his eyes on the plate and glass.  
She honestly cared if he made himself sick?

He wiped his forehead with the back of a hand and snatched up the glass.

Not even the cold water could ease the burn.


	7. Six

"That's rich! You tell a man he can have me like I'm some sort of prize and you think I'm not going to talk back to you! You're hilarious! Mad bitch!" Ginny screeched, Lucius scowled at his desk. Apparently his former sister-in-law had arrived, of course, it was almost Christmas, she would be round to drive him insane.

She probably wanted to rant at him for not letting Barty have his way with the witch too. He groaned and shook his head, cracked his neck and managed to stand from his place behind his desk. No matter how much he didn't want to deal with Bella, it was best he made this quick, before the mad witch tried to kill Ginny.

It had to be this day, too, of course. He'd promised to take the young witch for clothing, nothing of Narcissa's would come close to fitting the girl and she'd been adamant that she wouldn't wear anything like those 'frilly dresses' regardless. Thus far she'd been alternating the clothing they'd taken her in and one of his white button downs, that swallowed her whole.

That he couldn't look at her in, the burn would return. Merlin he was not fond that she sparked such a sensation in him, one that made him feel entirely out of control.

He needed to be in control, at all times.

Lucius rounded into the sitting room where the firey redhead was squaring off with the much taller Bella, her arms were crossed across her chest and her stance straight. He almost chuckled at the way she appeared to be trying to add height to herself and not nearly succeeding.

He watched from the doorway for a moment, interested in exactly what their conversation would entail.

LMGW

"Silence! You impertinent child." Bellatrix growled at Ginny who only cocked an eyebrow at the wild haired witch and pursed her lips.

"I'm missing the Holidays with my family, you know my mum makes the best pasties? You would be miffed as well." Lucius chuckled, arms crossed across his chest and Ginny shot him a black look.

"I am not kidding, who knows what I'm missing, new gags from my brothers! Where's Draco? Haven't seen him around, is he with Harry?" She gave a pointed look to the blonde-haired man who frowned.

"What are you implying, wench?" Hadn't they been getting on alright? He hadn't expected her to turn that fire on him again, hadn't expected her venom. Perhaps he really had upset her the day before when she'd interrupted him with food.

Or was it all a show for Bella? He didn't think she would do something like that for him, he still couldn't reconcile the idea that she would care about his well-being at all.

"Exactly what you suspect, old man!" She snarled, Bellatrix moved to slap but her hand stopped midair, Ginny watched the appendage at a small distance with wide eyes.

Lucius' wand was trained on the crazed witch, his lips pursed, grey eyes stormy.

"It is unwise to damage the bait, Bella." In reality he was beyond enraged, that fire that burned inside him threatening to consume him. What was he doing? Fuck he was in trouble!

Ginny shuffled backwards a few steps and watched as the spell was dropped and Bellatrix's hand slashed at empty air, the witch scowled and crossed her arms.

"You've been no fun since Cissy left you." She snarled, Lucius tensed just behind Ginny who turned to look at him with a cocked red eyebrow.

"Perhaps you should make haste in visiting your husband Bella, or are you concerned your precious Cissy has fucked him as well?" Ginny shivered at the tone of his voice, icy cold and vicious as it cut across the other witch who occupied the room. The wild haired Lestrange huffed a cruel snort and turned to walk out the door.

"I have no idea why she tolerated you for so long." She slammed the door to the manor behind her, leaving a sad Dobby cowering in her wake. Ginny couldn't help the little tug at her chest when Lucius turned from her, his grey eyes clouded.

"She left you? I thought purebloods bonded for life." She tipped her head, brushed red hair from her face and fought a war with herself to put a hand on his shoulder. She'd tried so hard not to show him an affection, tried to be impartial, still it hurt her to hear his wife had left him.

How many years had they been together? How could a woman simply leave after so long?

"We did not all have the luxury your parents were granted, the Black family fancied terminable arrangements, ours was an arranged marriage, we did not marry for love and as such the option to leave was a necessity for those witches. That they could walk out should they find the arrangement no longer suited was absolutely required."

Ginny gave a sad frown and wet her lips, her eyes darting around the room, they were incredibly alone. No wonder Draco hadn't been present, he must have been with his mother.

"My parents are irrelevant in this conversation." She tugged him by his arm to face her, ever the little spitfire she was raised to be.  
"Bonding should be for life, and even more so it should be for love." He cocked a pristine blonde eyebrow at the little redheaded witch, the passion that sparked in her eyes at her words baffled him.

It was rare he found himself in the presence of passionate speech that did not come from mad lips.

"I fear, Ginevra, it is not that simple."

"Ginny, I'm really tired of repeating myself." She cocked a sharp red eyebrow and he smirked.  
"And it is, no matter how you blood-status snobs see it." And she turned to walk away from him, red hair trailing her toward the kitchen.

Perhaps he'd given the young witch too much freedom in his home? He hadn't seen the harm in it, after all the Weasley temper was infamous, and he'd been faced with the wand of Molly Prewitt, no, it was no his desire to face down the offspring of such a witch- especially when she appeared to be equally as formidable.

He followed the witch into the kitchen to find her rummaging through cabinets, her eyes locked on him when he entered.

"You should sit, this will take forever."

"What in Salazar's name are you doing now, witch?" He grunted, brushed blonde hair back from his face and narrowed silvery eyes.

"I am going to make us a Christmas meal." She huffed and he cocked an eyebrow at her. "And you will not fuss about it, I won't spend the Holidays completely miserable."

"Bossy witch…" He grumbled.

"I heard that." A pointed look before she resumed her rummaging.

Lucius couldn't help but admit, to himself at least, that the smells that began to waft through the Manor made it feel that much less like the shell of the home it had one been.

And then he was forced to shake himself. What in Circe's name was he thinking?

LMGW

"I'm sorry that your wife left you." Ginny spoke into the darkened room. There was a thin line of pillows that separated her from Lucius, she'd insisted every night after the first.

"There is no reason to be. I have my heir, she served her purpose." Ginny chewed her lip, her eyes locked on the barely visible ceiling of his room. She was fidgeting under the covers, not exactly sure how to express herself.

"Didn't you love her at all?"

"Love is for the weak, Ginevra."

"Ginny…" Her voice was quiet, incredibly so, he nearly had to strain to hear her.  
"And I think it's exactly the opposite, you have to be brave when you're in love. You have to be willing to face down any odds that may come your way. I think love is for the strong and that the weak hide from it."

"Is that so?" He took a breath, his own eyes were closed, the very idea went against everything he believed. Everything he'd raised his son to believe, the very foundation of his life.

There was respect, there was fear, there was hatred, but love, love was below him.

He felt her shift, rolling onto her side and the movement of one of the pillows between them being tugged away. She could just make out the outline of the side of his face, the point of his nose, the soft fall of hair around his face.

"I hope you find it, I really do. I would hate to go my entire life without falling in love."

"But you haven't yet?" He managed, his voice low, as if being quiet would make it easier to deny he'd asked the question at all.

"No, no unfortunately it appears I am doomed to be the one who forces men to realize they are quite bent." She shook her head, laughing to herself softly. He turned himself, so he could look into her face. The dark of the room made it more difficult but he could still see the soft sparkle of those eyes.

Those eyes so full of life, so full of fire.

He wondered if her fire was the same as his, did she nurture it? Feed it and care for it, allow it to flourish?

"You should sleep, tomorrow is Christmas." He cleared his throat, rolled to his other side. He didn't miss her small sigh from the other side of the bed.

"Good night." She wondered, not for the first time what she should call him. In her head she called him Lucius, she wondered if she said it out loud how he would feel about it.

She was almost certain there was something wrong with her, the longer she spent in his presence the more affection she felt. It worried her, she couldn't fall for the very man who hated her best friend simply because of her blood.

She held in a snort, maybe he was gay? It made sense, his hair was always perfect.

A little laugh bubbled from her throat.

"What is so funny, Ginevra?" His muffled voice drifted across her pillow blockade.

"Nothing, nothing, goodnight." She covered her mouth as she rolled, her back to him and tried not to laugh as she drifted into sleep.


	8. Seven

"Ginevra?"

"I'm going to stop answering to that name, I swear." Ginny grumbled, her eyes opening and locking on the wizard beside her. If he'd spooned her in their sleep this time he'd woken up first and she didn't even have to know about it.

That worked for her.

"I won't call you anything else." He smirked, blonde eyebrow cocked as he stared down at her. She flushed a little, not used to being locked in anyone's sights without being in an argument for quite so long.

"I have a gift for you, I have had an owl sent from a dear friend of mine so that you may send a letter to your family. I understand you miss them. The owl will not return here, there is no point in anyone attempting to return a letter or follow the owl, and I will of course read over it before you send it." Ginny watched him, her mouth hanging half open, he was going to let her write her family?

Who cared about the rules!? She was going to get to write her family!

Before she even realized what she was doing she'd flung herself across the bed and into his chest, her arms latched around him as tightly, if not tighter than they had when he'd freed her of Crouch Jr.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me." She was aware there was moisture on her cheeks. She was more than aware she was crying, her face pressed against his bare chest, she was even aware that she was laying on top of him, his body pressed into the mattress beneath hers as she hugged herself to his broad, muscular form.

He swallowed, she could feel the action just before a hand came up to pat her gently on the back.

"I know, it is not lightly that I do this, Ginevra, please don't make me regret it." She pulled back, her eyes locked on his and felt her face burn at the full realization of the fact she'd all but smothered the wizard who was her captor.

But he wasn't just that, was he? No, she didn't want to dwell on it.

Trying to lighten the awkward mood she'd set she pushed a loud, wet kiss to his forehead and leapt from him, darting into the bathroom with a mad giggle.

Lucius furrowed his brow, wiped at his forehead, and stared at the restroom door with stormy eyes.

Did she really just kiss his head?

What in Merlin's name was going on? He'd thought to be nice, to give her a Christmas gift she would appreciate, along with the clothes he'd sent for, only one 'frilly dress' amongst them, but he hadn't expected that reaction.

Still, he cleared his throat and pulled himself from the bed, feeling a bit off center, and there was that burn again.

"When you've finished, Ginevra, you will join me in the library." He called, through the door that blocked the witch from his sight, he could hear water running and sighed to himself.

What was he doing? This was meant to be a short term thing, he was meant to trade the redhead for the witch Bella wanted dead, that was all.

Why was he buying her clothes? Allowing her to send letters to her family?

Why was he worried about her well-being?

He left the room with a throbbing headache. This was not how any of this was meant to go, but now she was here, he thought he may be hard pressed to let her leave.

Especially if he woke with her curled into his chest, her forehead against his bare skin and her arms wrapped around him as he had on this morning. These were affections he'd never earned from his frigid wife.

 _Circe_.

LMGW

"I don't like the idea of calling you Mr. Malfoy." Ginny blurted in the middle of breakfast, her face turning bright red despite herself as she stared down at her plate. Lucius cocked an eyebrow, silvery eyes locked on her ever reddening face.  
"I mean, okay, I was thinking about what I should call you, especially since you insist on calling me Ginevra…"

"It is a beautiful name." She felt her breath catch in her throat, her eyes wide on her plate. He wanted her to look up at him but it appeared that she would not be doing so.

She wet her lips and trudged onward, much to his amusement.

"So what should I call you? Mr. Malfoy feels too formal, Lord Malfoy feels strange…" She was chewing on her lip, the second time he'd seen her do so in as many days. He enjoyed this side of the redhead, he enjoyed when she was spitting venom as well, if he was being honest, but this, this was sweet.

"You could call me Lucius." His voice was low, deep in his offering of his first name. This was unchartered territory, only close friends and family called him by his given name. He was making a mistake, he knew, he had to be, yet still he couldn't stop himself.

She looked up at him then, a wicked glint in shimmering brown eyes.

"Luc?" She cocked an eyebrow, a cheeky grin on her face. He blinked, taken aback by the shortening of his name. Had anyone ever done that?

He couldn't think of a single person.

Not even the girl he'd fancied himself in love with in his school days had called him that. In fact, she'd called him a thousand other names, but never his, and never a shortening of his name.

He frowned.

"That is, strange." Ginny grinned, her eyes sparkling brighter now, her face returning to its usual pale shade, the blush falling away.

"Good, Luc, I think it suits you perfectly." His frown deepened.

"If this is revenge…I will not stop calling you Ginevra." She beamed over at him.

"I know, presents now?" She grinned, she'd seen them, in the library, before he'd pulled her away to have breakfast first. She was glad she'd sent Dobby to Diagon Alley to retrieve something for Lucius, she would have felt terrible getting gifts from him and having nothing to give in return. She hadn't had any money, instead she'd sold a thin silver bracelet she'd been wearing the night she was taken in a shop on Diagon, via Dobby once more.

She'd miss the trinket, a gift from Bill, a little dragon charm hanging from the thin band but it was worth it, she hoped her gift would make the wizard smile, at least a little.

Because that was something she'd noticed, something she understood better now she knew his wife and son were gone, he never seemed to smile.

"And you are certain I've got something for you?" He cocked an eyebrow, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. It took her a minute, her mouth suddenly incredibly dry before she gave him her best smile and a little nod.

"Yes, and if not aren't you going to feel like an ass, I've got something for you!" She jumped up, beaming, and as always dashed from the room. Sometimes he wondered if she was flighty because she was afraid, or if she simply acted that way in all situations.

He hoped it was the latter, because honestly, the more time he spent with her- the less she had to fear from him.

He cleared his throat and stood, his eyes flickering to Dobby who was taking their plates, his ears turned down and he made a nervous squeak.

So that was how the witch had succeeded in getting him something, but then, how had she gotten the funds?

LMGW

"What is this?" Lucius stared down at the gift in his hands, it was a small silvered circle, cool to the touch and strangely heavy in his fingers as he observed it.

The redheaded witch only gave him a grin and cocked an eyebrow.

He flipped the silver disk in his fingers, the back was bright blue and soft to the touch.

"I had Dobby pick this up from my brothers, especially for you. Don't worry, I told him in no uncertain terms to say nothing, it's an interesting little trinket that they developed when mum complained about them lying too much. It was their way of showing her they were telling the truth no matter what." She approached him, her steps gentle until she was standing right in front of him, her body poised between his legs as she held out a hand for the disk.

He handed it over gently, curious exactly what the witch was up to, did she want to know if, and when he was lying to her? That didn't make sense.

"You work with the Ministry, and a lot of people will tell you things, things you want to hear. A lot of your _friends_ …" She gave him a pointed look that did not go unnoticed. "…would betray you sooner than they would defend you. When someone tells a lie the disk gets hot, when they tell the truth it remains cool to the touch." She held it out in her hand, eyes locked on his.

"Fred and George were incredibly tired of being called liars, mum thought it was genius, we all did." She smiled, a soft smile that looked distant.

"It is very clever." He held out his hand again, to take the disk, she lay it in his palm, her own over the top of it.

"See, I'll show you how it works, I'm going to tell a lie, an obvious one, and then I'm going to tell the truth." She moved her hand, much to his mounting displeasure and stepped back, leaving the space of his legs and leaving him wanting to tug her back.

What was she doing to him?

"My name is Paula Williamsburg." The disk grew hot in his hand, just as she said it would, he smirked, examining the silvered piece of metal.

"Impressive."

"There is nowhere I'd rather be than here." His stomach clenched, his heart stilled in his chest, the disk remained cold. Ginny looked away from him, going back to the stack of presents in the corner of the room.  
"Now, how do I tell which ones are mine and which ones are for the great prat of Hogwarts?" She turned to him, a cocked eyebrow. He wasn't sure how to answer.

Had she really just admitted she was glad to be there with him? In his home?

He felt warm, the burn returned, again, again, and again, always in her presence.

"How did you buy this, Ginevra?" He managed a question, not an answer to her own question.

"I sold my bracelet." She said, casually, as if it was something she did every day.

"Why did you buy this?" He was watching her back, she stilled, ran a hand through her hair, and took a deep breath.

"Because, I want you to see the lies for what they are, and I want you to be safe." There it was again, why in Circe's name did she care about his wellbeing?!

"The blue ones, the blue ones are yours." She turned to him, a sparkling smile, before she went back to the presents.

He was amazed when she didn't even complain about the 'frilly dress' he'd bought her.


	9. Eight

"Your letter is sent, Ginevra." Lucius entered his office from the hall to find the redheaded witch gone. He cocked an eyebrow, certain that is where he left her and brushed blonde hair back from his face.

"Dobby." The elf appeared beside him, looking not nearly as down as he typically did, Lucius eyed the elf suspiciously.  
"Where is Ms. Weasley?"

"Oh sir, ma'am is in sir's room, ma'am was having the help from Dobby, Dobby is being so sorry he was not coming to sir faster." He looked like he was about to begin striking himself and Lucius grunted.

"That'll be all then." He watched the elf disappear from his spot beside him before he left the office to find the witch.

What exactly was Dobby helping her with?

His door was closed, the heavy, dark wood blocking his view of his rooms and he wondered exactly what trouble the firey redhead had gotten up to. She'd been in his home for little more than a week and had turned things so incredibly upside down already.

It was maddening.

It was amazing, they'd celebrated Christmas together, she'd been so nice to him, they shared a bed, more often than not he woke with her in his arms, or against him in some way, despite the pillow blockade she insisted upon every night when they lay down to sleep.

She had completely turned his world on its axis, changed everything.

The door opened with a soft push and he was more than a little surprised by what he found standing on the other side.

Her back was to him, facing the mirror on the opposite wall instead, a soft fall of long red hair down her back, little waves making it look much softer than its usual straight lines. He could see the long back of the delicate mint colored dress robes he'd bought her, the long straight line of the back that covered narrow shoulders.

He knew if she turned he would see the dress beneath that clung to perfect curves.

Merlin's balls. He hadn't expected her to ever actually put it on, if anything, it had seemed funny at the time.  
It wasn't funny now, now that he was faced with the witch wearing the very carefully selected clothing.

Brown eyes caught his in the mirror and he paused, half of him wanting her to turn so badly he could taste it, the other half needing to leave, to find his way to his private room, to exercise until his muscles burned and ached and enveloped that fire she seemed to ignite in him.

"I wanted to see what they looked like." She paused, he could see her hands smoothing the front just before she turned and he was faced with exactly what he'd expected.

The mint colored fabric, silk to the touch hugged her expertly, pooled around her feet on the floor and gave her an elegant look that if someone had told him she could possess he would have argued was impossible. If she was angelic when she slept, she was a goddess in his selected robes.

His mouth was dry as he straightened his own vest, needing to busy his hands.

"I know you probably thought I would hate them but…" She glanced at the mirror, viewing herself from the side. "…really, I've never had anything so nice and, well the color is beautiful, and, I look ridiculous, don't I? I'll take them off." She made to go around him, to go to the wardrobe he'd given her in the room just beside his.

He just managed to stop her in his haze, snatching her by the arm and pulling her into the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Do you ever stop?" He was staring down at her, eyes stormy and she could only look at him dumbfounded, thus far, aside from when he was hauling her away from Hogwarts he'd barely laid a hand on her. She hadn't exactly expected to be manhandled, of that she was certain.

"I…I don't think I know what you mean?" She squinted up at him and Lucius ran a hand through his hair, his eyes still locked on the soft flow of silken, mint colored fabric that clung to her so beautifully.

So bloody beautifully, it was a wonder he'd managed the coherent thought to catch her.

"I mean, honestly, if you didn't want me to wear them you shouldn't have given them to me. I know I'm not- I mean I know I'm not good enough for clothes like this, not to you. I'm just a blood traitor, a poor little blood traitor. Just, you don't have to tell me, I know. My best friend is muggleborn and I love her so much, and yes my wand was my uncles, and the only nice things I get are given as gifts from people outside of my family but I don't need you to tell me how unworthy I am…" She was cut off, not by a hand, not by biting words, not by cruelty.

She was cut off by lips on hers, a soft mouth pressed harshly against her own and hands holding her shoulders as she was steered back and pushed, rather harshly against a wall.

She felt like her senses were heightened, she could feel the soft fabric against her skin, the large warm hands on her shoulders, the soft lips, the taste of mint. His tongue begged entrance at the seam of her lips and she gasped, she'd been kissed, of course she had.

She hadn't realized it could be so intense, that kissing could steal her breath away and leave her a confused puddle of mush. At some point her fingers found their way into long blonde hair, though she wasn't sure when, hands trailed down to her hips and held her fast, lips assaulting hers still as she tried, and failed, to think.

When he pulled away she was left blinking, staring up at him, confused.

Hadn't she just been ranting that he didn't approve of her? How had that lead him to kissing her.

She brought a hand up and touched her lips, still a bit dumbstruck.

"They look magnificent on you." He exhaled, his eyes the clearest color of grey she'd ever seen as she tried to get her bearings.

"Oh- oh I thought…"

"I know what you thought, Ginevra." He stepped back, giving her space and she took a deep breath.

"But you don't, you don't think I'm not worthy of them?" She was still touching her lower lip, her entire body was firing tingles like shots across her skin. She was having a hard time coping with the myriad sensations.

Dean had never kissed her like that.

Of course, then, Dean was bent, and she was almost, _almost_ , certain at this point that Lucius was not.

"To be honest, I don't know what I think anymore."

"But I don't look hideous?" Well, if she was going to show that niggle of insecurity she may as well go all the way with it, right?

It was obvious they were both confused, at this point.

He stepped forward again, fitting her body between his and the wall and she gasped a breath again, her head tipped back to look up at him. She hadn't really payed much attention but now that she focused she was quite a lot shorter than him.

She looked straight ahead at the center of his chest.

Yes, quite a lot.

She needed to focus.

A large, soft hand pulled her face up, eyes the color of rainclouds taking in her face and making her feel dizzy. The sharp scent of his cologne and something uniquely him did little to help her situation on that front.

"I think you are the furthest possible thing from hideous I have ever seen." And then he was kissing her again, his lips moving in time with hers. Much softer now, gentler, she pushed back, an urgency filling her for the ferocity of his first kiss and, realizing what she wanted he gave it, freely, his mouth consuming hers as he held her hip in one hand and the back of her head in the other, fingers fisted in soft red hair.

He almost groaned, the burn was back, and he was beginning to seriously doubt it would ever go away now.


	10. Nine

✵ Nine ✵

"What now, Luc?" Ginny sat on the edge of his bed, her eyes locked on her wiggling toes, he'd finally released her from his room to change into a pair of shorts and the sweater her mum had knit for her, the one she'd been taken in.

She was curled with her knees to her chest, her feet propped at the arch on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin on her knees. She felt small, small and confused.

Two sensations she was not exactly having a grand time with.

He exhaled, blonde hair falling into his face from her fingers mussing it only an hour before. He leant against the wall, all cool confidence and steel stares again. It was amazing to her a man could feed so much passion into a kiss and suddenly appear as a block of ice again.

What had she expected though? Honestly, she shouldn't have let herself be lost in him!

Her eyes flitted back down to her toes, an attempt not to stare at him, not to beg him to hold her, it was ridiculous.

She was ridiculous.

He shifted and her heart shuddered in her chest, stalling and then starting at a rapid beat. She clenched her legs tighter against her and forced her eyes to remain on her feet.

What had she done? She'd let the very man at the fore of legislation that made her best friend less than others, that endangered her well-being and that of thousands of muggleborns all over the country, she'd let him kiss her.

She'd let herself get lost in him.

Her stomach twisted inside her, she felt a sudden, and very overwhelming feeling of guilt.

As if sensing her upset he cleared his throat and came to sit beside her on the bed, his side brushing hers.  
"I apologize if I've caused you grief, Ginevra, I am not sure what came over me." She turned her head to look at him, her hair falling over her bent knees and folded arms. She felt so small at that moment, so miniscule.

"It's my fault, I should have pushed you away, what was I thinking?" She huffed, finally voicing her thoughts aloud, he blinked, looking a bit taken aback. Ginny tensed.  
"I'm sorry, that sounded awful! The kiss, it was, well..." She breathed, he was watching her with scrutinous eyes now. "...It was amazing, I've never- it was perfect." She looked away, Lucius fought the urge to force her to look at him.

If it wasn't the kiss that bothered her what could it be? And then so very suddenly it dawned on him.

"This is because of your mu- _friend_." He barely managed, his hand coming out and trying to turn her face to his. Her feet slid from the edge of the bed, breaking her curled position and, with his hand cupping her jaw, she stared at him.

"Of course it is! How could I betray her like this?" She chewed her lip, looking for all the world like a lost little girl. He saw so much in her, so many facets that made up such a fiery spirit.  
"I betrayed her..." Chocolatey eyes flicked away, he groaned.

"Ginevra...Merlin." He groaned, large hands snatched her up and pulled her into his chest, his body rolling them to a laying position and holding her flailing body to his as he lay on his back. She stilled, breathing rapid and cursed his name a few times as her head settled on his chest.

She cooled that flame of rage in him and lit a new fire, the way her head lay against his chest, her breathing even, her small body draped over him.

"I can't, I can't do this with you, Luc, not if you're going to ruin her life, not if you're going to hurt one of the sweetest, most caring, intelligent witches I've ever known." He breathed in the soft scent of her hair, cinnamon and vanilla, she smelled like a bloody kitchen.

"It means this much to you?" He managed, his voice rumbled in his chest and she sighed softly, adoring the way his words vibrated against her cheek.

Gods how had she managed to end up here? Little more than a week after being snatched and she was laying atop her captor, indulging in his scent and wishing he would kiss her again.

She felt like an idiot.

"What if- what if I considered _less_ strict legislation? What if..." He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the idea of sacrificing everything he believed. But then he felt her squirm against him, her hair soft where it touched his neck- fuck all. "...What if I changed the laws, tweaked them?"

Her head shot up, chocolatey eyes locked on his face and he cocked an eyebrow, trying to remain stoic, inside him a war was being waged. The man who wanted this witch so badly he could taste it, versus the pureblood who abhorred those of a lower status.

He half expected she would laugh at him, instead her eyes sparkled and he wondered exactly what was going on in her head.

Ginny on the other hand felt very much like this was progress. She blinked, her mind raging at the idea- she could change his mind, couldn't she? If she could make him consider lighter legislation simply because he disliked her guilt...his mind could be changed, couldn't it?

She brought her hands up to his shoulders, propping herself up on him and pulling her face level with his, red hair made a curtain around them, shielding their faces from the soft light of the room.

"You would do that, for me?" Her voice was light, airy, she could see the relief come over his face. She knew he had to have expected that not to be enough.

And it wasn't, he was right about that.

But if she could slowly shift him in the right direction, maybe even show him that witches and wizards like Hermione were different than he let himself believe...oh the possibilities were endless.

His shoulder shifted when a hand came up to cup her cheeks, Merlin she loved his large hands against her skin, so warm and soft. She was almost certain her own hands were more callused than his would ever be.

He didn't need to speak, smoky eyes sparkled in the low light and she lowered her face to his, his fingers hooked into red hair as she kissed him.

It was softer than his kisses, gentle and closed mouth.

She was unsure, unsure of exactly what she should be doing, her experiences with physical affections were limited to close friends and family, and those were not the _same_ kinds of affections. She considered herself lucky when he took charge, his mouth forcing itself against hers and his tongue running along the seam of her lips.

Entrance she immediately granted, a bit of a giggle escaping her as he flipped her over so that he hovered above her slight figure, arms caging her on either side and tongue slipped into her mouth. She hummed when the slick muscle played at hers, his mouth warm and flavored like a smoky brandy.

Her hands ran the length of rippling shoulders, she was well aware of the musculature beneath, and seen him hard at work on more than one occasion, building those firm muscles and proving that even snobby purebloods understood the value of their physical wellbeing.

Small fingers trailed the muscles of his arms, bunched from supporting his weight above her as their lips worked together. He was demanding, pulling little sounds from her as he hooked his hands beneath her shoulders to give himself better leverage over her upper body. Their chests pressed tightly together as his large hands splayed her shoulder blades and held her arched up into him.

She panted for breath when he broke away, her eyes closed as his lips trailed, not really kissing but not entirely stilled across her jaw and down to her neck. Her hair bunched under her head as he lay little open mouthed kisses on her neck, his tongue flicked out to taste the soft skin and he growled- _growled_ \- a low sound that vibrated up from his chest.

She mewled, her eyes opening and staring at a crown of pale blonde hair as his lips worked their way back up.

Soon she was staring into his eyes again, his fingers lowering her back to the bed as he took in her dreamy eyes and swollen lips. A surge of pride, he'd done that, he'd made her look like that, lost and fascinated.

He wanted to do it again. Unfortunately, he had _other matters_ to attend to. He stood, rather stiffly and she watched him, confusion written across her face.

"That's enough for now, Ginevra, right yourself and we will have dinner, it is growing late." He managed, to tear himself away from her, disappearing into the restroom and leaving the redhead staring at the door.

Her fingers reached up to caress her lips, her eyes closing for a moment.

It wasn't a betrayal of her best friend if she was working toward changing his mind, right?


	11. Ten

"You have to return to work?" Ginny was settled in the floor of Lucius' office, her eyes trained on the parchment in front of her. It had been a week since their little snogging session and while something had markedly changed between them there had been no more physical contact.

Something that made her sad, she just wasn't quite sure how to prompt him into action again. At the moment, however, she was writing another letter to her family, after her first he'd given his word he would allow her to write one a week until they decided what was to happen and go on from there.

She didn't want them to decide, she wanted it to stay the way it was, though she knew that was impossible. She would have to return home eventually, they would attempt to take Hermione- it would be over her dead body that they got her, however.

Which she was more than happy to point out, earning a scowl from the blonde- and silence.

It didn't matter how he felt about her words, it was true, she would fight to the death for her friends, and she knew they would do the same for her. Hermione would never have let them simply walk out with her if she'd been there when they'd attacked.

But thank Merlin she hadn't been! It didn't bear thinking about.

"It would seem that yes, as a member of the Ministry I am required to appear in my office at some point." He cocked an eyebrow as he sat back. Ginny shook her head and glanced to the parchment in front of her, a signature was the last thing required and she scrawled it, rather messily, before standing and plopping the letter on his desk.

"What if they know you have me, will you be okay?"

He blinked, watching her with a scrutinous gaze, of course, she often worried for his well-being, it was a confusing part of her personality that he had come to expect. He hadn't given any consideration to the idea, however, that they may have determined just who it was who had Arthur Weasley's daughter.

Arthur Weasley, who was most certainly on track to be the next Minister of Magic, despite his very disturbing obsession with muggle technologies and lifestyles.

"Come here." He moved his chair so that he was turned to the side with an easy shift and she rounded the desk, chocolate eyes glimmering at him as she came to stand in front of him. So readily she came to him, it was fascinating.

He took her hand in his, pulling her so that she fell into his chest and then shifting her so she sat curled rather comfortably in his lap. She was giggling when he finally settled her, her hands hooked on his shoulders.

"I find it incredibly endearing the way you worry for me." He pushed his head into the crook of her neck and pressed a little kiss to her pulse point. Strong arms were wrapped around her waist, forcing her not to squirm and she groaned, tipping her head to give him easier access despite herself.  
"Something is still troubling you." He spoke, not a question and she gave a soft nod, eyes cracking open to stare at him.

"What if Crouch comes back?" Her hand was on his chest and her chocolatey eyes were nearly pleading as they stared into his. He grunted, and much to Ginny's surprise stood with her in his arms and began to walk. She looked around, eyes wide as he navigated their way out of the office, through several conjoining rooms and up the stairs.

He cocked an eyebrow at the strange smile on her face and she only shook her head.

"I don't think anyone has ever carried me like that." She squinted, eyes little slits, Lucius couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up from his chest.

"Yes, well, perhaps you would have been more pliant had I carried you like this initially." Ginny could feel her face burn bright red and wrinkled her nose.

"Shurrup, old man." He chuckled, blonde hair shifting around his face as she turned her eyes from him, he coaxed her back by pressing his nose and lips to the side of her face and she turned, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Impertinent brat." He lowered his lips to hers, still holding her up in the long hall, in front of an unfamiliar door.

She knew there was a reason they were there, was well aware there was a purpose to their position stood in front of the door but she couldn't find it in her to care, not with his tongue caressing hers so deliciously. She moaned, an involuntary sound caught by his mouth and he smirked, breaking away from the kiss.

He settled her gently to her feet, his hand motioned toward the door. It looked innocuous, no different than any other door in the hall, in fact it was nearly identical to them all. He turned the knob however and it refused to move, she watched with curious eyes, red eyebrow raised to her hairline.

"Dobby." He called, the elf appeared beside him, looking skittish.  
"Dobby is the only elf in this Manor able to access this room, no one else is capable. Take us inside." He shifted his eyes to the elf who nodded, ears flopping and grasped both by the hand, Lucius looked disgusted but said nothing as they vanished with a pop and appeared on what had to be the other side of the door.

"Woah." It was all she could say as she stared across the room, fitted with a small kitchen, a connected bathroom, and a small library.

"That will be all." He glared at the elf who vanished without a word. "This, Ginevra, is a safe room, no one is able to access it without Dobby specifically bringing them in, you are able to leave at any time however simply by gripping the door handle, you will be transported out, to the outside of the Manor."

Ginny was still looking around the room, awed by the fireplace, and the fixtures, and the soft grey carpet beneath her feet. It was by far the coziest room she'd seen yet in the Manor and she looked to Lucius.

"If you like, you may stay here while I am at work, no one will have access to you." She was on him before he had a chance to think, her arms wrapped around him and knocking him back a step before he regained his footing.

She hugged herself tightly to him, inhaling deeply the scent that was him, the one she'd grown so incredibly familiar with over her short time with him. She pulled away, only enough to hook her arms around his neck and gave him a bright grin.

"You are amazing, Luc." He watched her, brow furrowed.

It was true, he was no master of hiding his feelings, though if he were set against this witch he was more than certain he would seem completely emotionless. The way she wore her heart on her sleeve was an endearing quality to say the least, one that could put her in a lot of danger. He leant over her, his hands caught on her lower back, he wanted nothing more than to shield her, to protect her from the fighting he knew was only just on the horizon, the fighting he was instigating.

"Still an old man, though." She gave him a cheeky grin and let go, ducking down at his low growl and scurrying away. He watched her go, across the room where she cocked an eyebrow at him. It was a dare, and he knew it was, and Circe he wasn't young like this anymore- but she made him feel like he was, and it was a struggle but only for a moment before he took several long strides across the room, nearly caught up to her before she jumped launched herself to the left.

She rolled across a luxurious bed to her feet on the other side and smirked.

"Point proven." She laughed when he rounded the bed and made to snatch at her. She tried to roll away again but in an instant he was on her, pressing her flat into the mattress and smirking wickedly, grey eyes flashed.

"You were saying, Ginevra?" She was watching him with wide eyes, a smile painted across her face.  
"Now, what should we do to combat this insolence…" He cocked an eyebrow, a playful gleam in his eye and she wrinkled her nose at him.

"Have you considered being a non-combatant, just for a change?" She laughed playfully and he grunted, his fingers trailing up and hooking into her long red hair. Gods it was so soft.

"A lover instead of a fighter then, you mean?" He smirked at the light red tinge that took her cheeks and she gave a soft nod, her eyes sparkling.

"It can't hurt to try."

His head dipped lower, his breath ghosting across the shell of her ear and she shivered.  
"I am more than willing to try, Ginevra." His husky whisper made her stomach clench, what exactly had she just instigated?


	12. Eleven

They were kissing, a bundle of limbs and lips on the plush bed of the safe room. Shifting locks of blonde hair would occasionally brush at the skin of her face as he moved to kiss at her neck and jaw, her eyes closed and her fingers fisted in the back of his robes.

She couldn't fight the moan that bubbled up from her throat and he couldn't quite find a reason to stop himself from slipping between her thighs to situate her body just so. They were still clothed, it wasn't as if he was taking advantage of the girl- no matter how badly he may want to.

"Luc…" Ginny gasped, her small hands were digging into his back and he groaned at the sharp sensation, the way she arched her body into his.

Those lovely brown eyes popped open and caught him in her gaze, stopping their rather intense snogging session with only a look. She still grasped him, her wide eyes on his face, her breaths were pants that caressed his lips and made him want to kiss her again, and again.

"I do not want this to go to your head, Ginevra, but you are quite possibly the most beautiful witch I have ever seen." And it was true, her petite nose, large brown eyes framed by thick lashes, the smattering of freckles that decorated her skin and that beautiful red hair. She was gorgeous.

She shook her head at his smirk, her fingers coming up to caress his hair, something he would typically be loathe to allow. Her fingers were soft though, and fluttered across his scalp and through the long locks so softly it was almost as if they weren't there. The admiration in her eyes was something he'd never seen directed at him.

He'd seen fear, he'd seen angry and hatred, he'd seen mock respect, and when his son had been a small child he'd seen love.

Before the Malfoy expectations had stolen that from him as well. But this admiration, the way she stared up at him with mischievous eyes sparkling he felt his typically dead heart give a thud.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked, tilting her head. He thought to move but with her fingers in his hair and her thighs on either side of his hips, her knees bent and angling her just so she was against him he was hard pressed to follow through on the thought. She was a warmth, a burning ember in an otherwise cold world and he wanted to stay nearer her heat.

"Nothing has stopped you yet." He cocked a blonde eyebrow and she gave a sharp laugh, her eyes rolling before she wet her lips. Her fingers trembled in his hair, holding him still.

No, he definitely wouldn't be moving away anytime soon, not until he had to.

"I think that you have it in you to be a very good man, a fantastic wizard, I'm so sorry that no one ever encouraged you to be that man. I have more faith in you than should be possible, considering you planned to kill my best friend, and I just really think you should know that." He was staring at her with wide grey eyes, he could feel them near bugging out of his head and she brought one hand around to caress a sharp jawline.

Ginny's papa had taught her to see the good in everyone, and everything she could, on top of that he'd raised her to tell people when she saw the good in them.

 _"If you don't tell them, how will they ever see what you see?"_ He'd posed the question when she'd asked him why he was telling someone she thought to be quite wicked that they had done a good job. He'd always encouraged them, played on their positive qualities and uplifted his family.

It was easy for the words to come from her, easy for her to tell the man looming above her what she thought.

Apparently it was not however easy for him to hear because he was stalk still, his grey eyes wide and shocked as she stroked his jaw.

"Why would you say something like that?" He squinted, looking down at the witch who still held him, not letting up on the pressure just in case he did decide to move. He was caught somewhere between disbelief and absolute elation.

What was he doing? He couldn't do this, not with this witch, not in this lifetime! It was wrong, wrong on so many levels.

He tried to pull away and she hooked her legs around his hips, shaking her head and messing her red hair around her face.

"Don't run away, okay?" She gave him a stern look, one he'd not been faced with in quite some time from her and he cleared his throat, a soft nod. She looked pleased and unhooked one leg from his back, the other slid to wrap around his thigh.

"I never thought I would say this but you are too good for me. This isn't right." He managed to finally get out, not struggling but wanting to with every rioting nerve in his body. He needed to get away from her, she was too sweet, too good.

She was his equal in so many ways, like a better fashioned counterpart. He couldn't ruin her, he couldn't give up his views for her.

What could he do?

"Um, I'm almost certain it's my decision who is good enough for me and who isn't." She cocked a red eyebrow, the hand that held the back of his head slipping down to hold his neck, the hand on his jaw hooking around his neck as well. He was tense, his muscles coiled with want to escape.  
"Despite what every one of my brothers, and you seem to think I know what I'm doing. I'm an adult by all rights and perfectly capable of making my own decisions." Her voice was low, not shrill as he was accustomed to when women grew upset.

He was realizing he was out of his depth, outside of the world he understood and in a place, with a person that he couldn't begin to understand.

"You are making a poor decision then." He argued, silvery eyes flashed as she pulled both eyebrows to her hairline. Her hands left his neck, her leg fell to the side and she stared up at him flatly.

"If you didn't want me, you shouldn't have kissed me. If you can't- just for a second- but behind your pure blood, rich born, selfish prat bullshit and see for even a second what I know I see in you then you can go. Right. Now." She turned her head to the side, he was still propped above her.

This was his out, he could go now, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be welcomed back warmly should he change his mind.

He could stay, but what would that achieve?

Heaving a breath he pulled himself from the bed, feeling her eyes on his back as he left the room, leaving the fiery redhead staring at a closed door.

Ginny wasn't quite sure what to do, she'd tried, hadn't she? Maybe he was right, maybe she was too good for him.

Especially if he was going to be a coward simply to avoid a change she knew he was more than capable of making.


	13. Twelve

Lucius sat in his office, his eyes trailing the small cramped space as he tried to regain his focus.

It had been a week since he'd returned to work, a week since he'd walked away from what had to be one of the best offers he'd ever been given.

He was so stupid. Of course he wanted her, and he let her think he didn't, he'd walked away.

There was one thing he could say for Ginevra Weasley, she had a cold shoulder to rival that of the iciest Malfoy. She spoke not a single word to him. Not over their dinners, not when they slept in the bed together. She slept against the edge of the bed, as far from him as possible and despite the lack of pillow blockade she stayed well away from him.

When she looked at him it was like she was looking through him, as if she didn't even care that he was standing there and he couldn't lie, it didn't feel very good.

In fact, he would give anything to have one of her scathing glares and venomous insults if it meant she would act like he existed.

He twisted the small bracelet in his fingers, the dragon pendant that hung from it writhing delicately before stilling as he twisted the chain. He'd gotten it back, of course he had, the day after Christmas in fact, he'd been planning to give it back to her.

But then she'd shut him out and- well- he didn't even begin to know how to approach her now.

The pop of one of his house-elves appearing in his office made his eyes furrow, pulling his attention back to the present.

"What is it, Dizzy?" He growled out, annoyance clear in his tone and on his face.

"Dizzy is sorry master, Dizzy is coming because master is needing to be coming home." The elf twisted its hands and Lucius glared.

"Whatever for?" He bit, not wanting to go back there and be iced out by the only witch to spark anything in him in so many years.

"Master is having visitors and master is not being at home…" The elf looked nervously around, as if she thought he would lash out at her for finishing the sentence.

Visitors? Who the hell was in his Manor while he was not home.

His eyes closed, Bellatrix.  
And then his stomach flipped.

Ginevra was at the mercy of the mad witch! He stood, his chair sliding back violently on the floor and he gave the elf a nod and watched as it disappeared with a scared sob and a crack.

That wasn't a good sign. He could only hope the redhead had made it to the saferoom in time.

LMGW

"Not so big now, are you little girl!?" A mad cackle raged from above her, Ginny however could not focus in the slightest. Her eyes were closed against the onslaught of pain, her body writhing against her will on the cold marble of the dining room floor.

She'd been completely blindsided when the mad witch had stormed into the Manor, she'd not even had time to hide. When Dobby had come for her the evil bitch had knocked him unconscious and he was laying in the floor somewhere near her.

She just couldn't focus well enough to figure out where. She could hear cries, could feel the tear in her throat as the screams were ripped from her by the terrible curse.

There was nothing she could do, however. She was wandless, and while she had a bit of skill in wandless magic it was nowhere near advanced enough to deflect a Cruciatus curse cast directly at her.

The witch cackled madly more, not ceasing in the torture as Ginny writhed and attempted to crawl away when she managed to catch her breath. And then she would begin screaming over again, she was certain she wouldn't have a voice anymore before long.

Her vision was fading in and out now, she could feel her fingers curling into the sides of her head.

She realized, somewhere in the back of her mind that the curse stopped just before she fell into the dark void of unconsciousness, welcoming the reprieve from the pain.

LMGW

Bellatrix lay on the floor staring up at him with wild, confused eyes. One moment she'd been torturing the little redheaded bitch and the next she was on the marble floor staring up at a cool, if not a bit disheveled Lucius Malfoy.

"You come into my home, you injure one of my house elves." He glanced to the redhead on the floor, her breathing was shallow, her face twisted in agony.  
"You torture a pureblooded witch." His voice was low, like granite, and cold as ice as he stared down at his former sister in law.  
"It would be well within my rights to end you, Bella, as it is you are no longer welcome in my home. You will leave, immediately, and you will not show your face here again."

"Are you abandoning our cause Lucius!? For this bitch!? Have you gone soft?" Her eyes were wild, her hair twisted around her face as he bent to put a hand to Ginevra's forehead, her face squinted in pain and he saw red. He was going to kill the bitch.

It wouldn't take much, he'd wanted to for years, after all, she'd been a thorn in his side. A crazed witch with no real purpose but to promote chaos.

"Leave. Now." His icy tone drifted over his shoulder his eyes not leaving the body of the witch laying in his floor.

"You'll regret this Malfoy!" She screeched when Lucius turned on her with his wand up, pointed directly in her face, the cane it typically made up the top of lay discarded somewhere, he didn't even realize when he'd heard the screams. He'd acted, pure instinct consumed him.

"I will kill you. Make no mistake Bella, you have lost my patronage, you have lost my participation, you have lost my wealth." He growled out, his eyes solid ice as he backed her from the room, her wand lay somewhere in the floor of his dining area and she summoned it to her just before she was pushed back, rather violently, out the front door and onto the lawn by a burst of strong magic. She screeched when she landed in the large, green pond that occupied the front lawn and Lucius smirked a bit, pleased that was where she'd landed as he stood on the other side of the door, breathing heavily.

He turned on his heal, cast an enervate at Dobby who gave him a wide-eyed look and disappeared when he saw him leaning to scoop up the small redhead.

The witch in his arms Lucius made his way carefully up the stairs and into his bedroom, he settled her into his bed and groaned to himself at the pain that lined her face.

Cold shoulder or not, he would not let anything happen to her, not ever again.  
Her screams had been enough to tear his heart from his chest, it had killed him a little on the inside.

He placed a delicate kiss on her forehead and cleared his throat as he straightened, he needed to retrieve potions, he would have to be quick, in and out of the apothecary that occupied Diagon Alley.


	14. Thirteen

Lucius ran a hand through his hair, paperwork in front of him as he sat in his bed. Ginevra was sleeping beside him, her breathing much more even now he'd managed to get several potions in her. It was only a matter of time, now, she would either wake, and be- if not a bit scarred- good as new.

Or, and this was the outcome he didn't want to think of, she would be damaged beyond repair.

He wasn't sure how long the curse had persisted, had no clue how much damage Bella had done before she cast the curse, if that was all she'd done to the girl.

It was honestly up in the air.

Something he was not at all fond of, he was a man who enjoyed order, he was a man who needed control, and most of all, he was a man who was not accustomed to not having his way.

She shifted beside him, the first movement she'd made on her own and his eyes locked onto her, the parchments he'd been working on forgotten as he stared over at her. He was in the process of writing recension letters to the Ministry, he was withdrawing his legislation against the muggleborns.

It did not mean he agreed they were his equals, but when he watched the witch beside him, red hair splayed around her, face wrinkled in sleep. When he thought about losing her, knowing what it felt like to lose that look of affection he'd grown so attached to…he couldn't do it.

He would not do this to her, he would give her what she wanted, it did not mean he was changing his own personal views, it only meant he was withdrawing from this particular fight. Bellatrix had proven to him it was not a battle he wanted to be on this side of regardless.

When one began to torture their own kind, their peers, it changed things, very quickly.

His attachment to the girl may have played at least a minor role in it all as well.

She rolled onto her back and he reached over to brush the hair back from her face, her sleeping face completely visible to him. He took a breath, would she always stun him with her beauty? How could anyone be so incredibly fascinating, so lovely, and so sweet?

He picked up the charm bracelet from the table beside him and picked up her limp arm, securing it on her wrist as she slept and settling the limb across her stomach. The dragon writhed and moved, shifting in the light and he cleared his throat, trying to deny the sting of his worry as he turned back to his parchments and carried on composing letters to the Ministry.

He could only hope she would give him another chance.

She said she saw potential in him, and he was going to prove to her he could be what she thought he could, if she would only wake up undamaged.

LMGW

Ginny woke with a start, her eyes wide as she glanced around the room.

No mad witch, she exhaled a sigh of relief. Large, familiar arms were wrapped around her and she turned, Lucius held her, enfolded in his arms, his eyes closed in sleep and the remnants of his work littered the bed.

She wondered for a moment exactly why he'd been working in the bed but then, when she thought about it, her stomach flipped.

It couldn't be because he was worried for her, could it?  
Could she hope it was?

She took another breath and tried to shift away, being grasped more tightly and shook her head, a small smile on her face.

Her anger was forgotten, for the moment, the lingering twinges of pain in her joints and nerve endings were a bit unsettling, a troubling reminder of what she'd been through and she closed her eyes, laying her forehead against his lips. Lips that kissed her head when and she pulled back, eyes wide.

Lucius' eyes were open, focused on her and the clearest color of grey, like they'd been that first time he'd kissed her.

"Hi." She managed, her throat was raw and she winced, her voice was scratchy, she didn't even sound like herself.

"Don't talk, okay? Your throat is going to need time to heal." She nodded, her eyes focused on his, pity, there was a lot she wanted to say. He pulled back from her and sat up, helping her to do the same and lean back against the pillows.  
"I'm going to call for breakfast in bed. You have no idea how relieved I am that you are awake." He handed her a parchment and self-inking quill.  
"How are you feeling?"

 _I've been better._ She scrawled and he gave a nod, a hand coming up to brush red hair back from her face, she leaned against his knuckles for a moment before looking up at him again.  
 _Did you stop her?_

He nodded.

"I did, I cut all ties with her, and her cause." He watched for her reaction, her eyes were wide and her face flushed as she stared over at him.

 _Really? But- I thought you couldn't…_ Her face fell, when she looked down at her hands her eyes went wide and she held her wrist up closer to her face, fascinated.

There, hanging from her wrist was her silver bracelet, the thin chain and squirming charm right where they'd once been.

She shot her eyes back to Lucius, giving him a long look that spoke volumes exactly what she was feeling. Her eyes pricked with tears and she jammed the down, trying to stop them before they could flow.

"I would also like to show you this." He handed her another piece of parchment.

She read over it quickly, her eyes skimming the words and her body bubbling with excitement as she read over it.

"Oh Luc…" She cooed, her voice cracked and it hurt but she didn't care, the tears were flowing now and she launched herself into his arms, he was rescinding his legislation.

"Don't talk, stubborn woman." He held her to his chest, his arms wrapped around her small frame as she cried into his chest. He hadn't expected to make the witch cry, as far as he'd been able to tell she wasn't one for such displays of emotion.

It must have been too much at once, he concluded as he stroked her back and the long locks of red hair that ran down it.

Dobby appeared with their breakfast and he eased her back into her place, his eyes watchful as she settled back into her place. Two trays were settled at the foot of the bed for the moment they were ready for them and he glanced from the food to the witch.

 _Does this mean you're going to send me away?_ She scrawled quickly on her parchment. Her face contorted into something that looked briefly like pain before she wiped it away and looked to the other side of the bed, not making eye contact.

"Ginevra…" He exhaled and hooked a hand onto the back of her head, helping urge her to turn to look back at him.  
"I'm not going to send you away, I do think you should complete your education, and see your family and your _friend._ "

 _I won't let you be in trouble._ She scrawled and he gave a slight nod.

"If I must I will beg forgiveness." He pursed his lips, as if the words left a bad taste in his mouth and she let out a croaking laugh.

 _No need to make yourself insane, Luc._

"Very cute, Ginevra." He smirked and she gave him a broad grin, her fingers dropped the quill to play at the bracelet around her wrist.

"Thank you." She croaked out and he pressed his lips to hers, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek as he kissed her softly before pulling back and giving her a long look.

"If I must keep my mouth on yours to keep you silent I will. You will only make your throat worse." Ginny wasn't sure why, but she was pretty sure that was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to her.


	15. Fourteen

"You're going to visit me, aren't you?" Ginny turned to glance over her shoulder, she was packing a trunk while Lucius watched her from the bed, his stormy eyes locked on her as she shifted and finally turned to face him.

He looked torn, like he wanted to say something, yet at the same time wanted to keep his mouth shut.

"What is it?" She asked, approaching him and standing right in front of him, his legs parted and she slipped into the space created, settling on one of his thighs and giving him a confused look.

"I would like to take you to Diagon Alley before I return you to the school. I want- I would like to buy you your own wand, one that is yours, one that will take care of you…" He cleared his throat, she could tell he was nervous how she would respond and she could understand, she'd jumped down his throat once about her uncle's wand, and how important it was.

"Luc, I do just fine with my uncle's wand, I've done good so far." She cocked an eyebrow at him and he shifted his eyes away before bringing them back to her, his arm hooked around her waist and tugged her tighter against him.

"I need you to be safe, Ginevra, Bellatrix- she's insane, I can't risk your life."

"And you will feel like I'm safer if I have my own wand?" She looked pensive, she glanced back to her uncle's wand on the bedside table, he'd given it back to her the day before when she'd woken up.

"I will."

She hooked her hand into the hair on the side of his head and urged his head to turn to hers, her face as close as she could comfortably be and still speak.  
"You're sacrificing a lot for me, Luc, if you want to buy me a bloody wand who am I to stop you?" She raised both eyebrows and he made a low noise in his throat, his face pressing forward to catch her lips with his, he spun her deftly, settling her back on the bed and hovering over her as he kissed her softly.

She pressed forward, urging him to deepen their kiss and he smirked, pulling back to look into her face.

"Why are you stopping _now_?" She huffed, her eyebrows raised and a low chuckle broke his chest.

"You must be the strangest witch ever born."

"The fact you have stopped a perfectly good beginning to what could be an excellent bout of snogging tells me that I am still not the strangest person in this room" She huffed, when she moved to cross her arms across her chest he caught them and pressed them over her head. His hair was a silvery curtain around their faces as he watched her with interested grey eyes.

Ginny concentrated on not squirming about as he held her and wet her lips.

"What do you want from this, Ginevra?" He asked, his eyes flicking from her lips to her eyes and she stilled completely, her breath caught in her throat.

What did she want? A relationship? Romance? What exactly was it she thought she could have with Lucius bloody Malfoy?

"I know you are not interested in my money, I know you are not interested in my name, what do you want from me?" He looked lost, confused on a higher level and she shook her head, finally managing to pull her arms free and brought her hands up to hold his face.

"Oh! I hate that you believe that is all you are." She glanced away for a second, her eyes lighting on the bracelet on her wrist.

He could be so kind, thoughtful when he wanted to be.

She knew then, exactly what she wanted from him, with him.

"I want to love you." She brought her head up and brushed her lips across his, her eyes opening after the soft brush to stare into his.  
"I would like to have your love in return, but, I understand that is a complicated concept for you. I just want to love you, to coexist with you. Frankly if you never buy me anything again I will be fine, if you never give me your name I will absolutely survive. I just want to be with you." He was watching her with a scrutinous gaze and she allowed a tentative smile on her face, her hands slid down to his shoulders and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers again.

This kiss was soft, slow and consuming as he pressed her back into the mattress, the soft slide of his lips against hers a comfort, her arms hooked loosely around his neck as they slipped into a sort of leisurely pace. For once she left the kiss at a low pace, instead of deepening it she allowed him to guide the kiss, she was at his mercy, no matter how much she disliked relinquishing control she understood on a deep level that relationships- especially those that lasted lifetimes- required give and take.

Her parents had shown her that, well, and she knew how to give, she could help him learn.

When he pulled back she took a moment to breathe before her eyes fluttered open and he gave her the first genuine smile she could remember seeing on his face since Christmas when she'd given him the Lie Detectorator, or whatever it was Fred and George called it.

He stroked her cheeks gently with thumbs on either side of her face and placed another soft little kiss to her lips, earning his own broad grin.

"Ollivanders, and then the Burrow?" She watched him with wide eyes. She knew what they would be walking into at the Burrow, her parents would be unhappy, to say the least, but- she was also keenly aware that they loved her, quite a lot more than they hated Lucius.

She hoped that would work to her advantage.

LMGW

When Ginny's wand chose her Lucius was reminded again how beautiful she truly was, the soft smile on her face as she stared at the piece of herself she'd been missing for most of her life. Her hair fluttered around her with a soft air and then settled as she stared at the rather short wand, it was yew, with a rather delicately spiraled handle and fit her perfectly, its core was unusually enough Dittany and still it was not all too surprising at all as it was powerful in use with healing and was often referred to as burning bush, which nearly, nearly made him chuckle aloud.

"Wow." She breathed and he gave her a broad smile, earning a baffled look from Ollivander himself.  
"Thank you so much, Luc!" And it was the first display of public affection of what he assumed would be many as she launched herself into his arms and hugged him around his back, her face buried in his chest.

"Anything for you, Ginevra." He breathed lowly, stroking her back before a throat cleared and they were sucked back into reality. He paid, quickly and they apparated as soon as they left the shop to the Burrow.

Now this was where he would be most uncomfortable.

LMGW

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ginny heard her father's voice before she saw him as she stood behind Lucius, still trying to orient herself from apparition.

Oh, and he sounded mad.


	16. Fifteen

"I asked why you are here, Malfoy." Ginny cleared her throat, a hand on Lucius' back as she came out from behind him and gave her papa a long look.

"He's here because of me." Her voice was quiet as Arthur Weasley's eyes shot from her to the man she stood beside, several times.

The blue eyes that looked so much like Ron's were wide, and his mouth was lax in shock for a long moment before he produced his wand and pointed it at the blonde. Ginny stepped in front of him, not doing much to shield him, but enough to give Arthur pause.

"I should have known you had her, come here Ginevra, come to me now." He demanded, glancing back to the house for a short second to see Molly just coming out. Ginny heaved a breath and leant back against Lucius' tall frame for just a second, needing just a moment of support. She'd known she would have to do this, that didn't mean she wanted to.

"Ginny!" The elder redheaded woman cried, bustling up so she was standing directly beside her husband, her bright brown eyes wide as she observed the way her daughter stood in front of the blonde man.

"Mum! Oh I'm so happy to see you!" She cried excitedly, still she didn't budge from her place in front of Lucius. Molly did not reach for her wand as her husband had but stood there, a knowing look flashed in her eyes, Lucius would have been foolish to miss it.

"Arthur, put your wand away." She huffed, earning a wide eyed confused look from her husband.

"You can't possibly think I will! Not with _him_ here." He bit out, Molly gave him a long look and Ginny could only observe the silent conversation passing between her parents. She'd seen it a thousand times when the twins were in trouble, when she was in trouble- Merlin, even when kids who weren't their own had got up to trouble they shared that look.

Arthur nodded after a few minutes and replaced his wand where he belonged. Ginny could feel Lucius twitch behind her and she turned to look up at him, her hands on his arms.

"Luc, we have to talk to them, are you going to stay?" She made certain to keep her voice low, he was so tense standing there, he looked like a block of ice, he'd gone directly back to his stone exterior and she almost sighed. Instead she ran her hands up his arms and onto his shoulders, catching the skin on either side of his robe's collar and touching the skin of his neck.

The action seemed to snap him back because his eyes locked on hers and he looked to be coming back into focus. She knew it had to have taken everything in him not to draw his own wand, this was not a situation she'd meant to throw him in.

He gave a sharp nod, his only response, and walked stiffly beside her as she turned and approached her parents. First she tossed her arms around her mum, indulging in the biggest hug she thought she may have ever had before she turned to her papa.

"Are you mad?" She glanced to her feet and he shook his head, his eyes never leaving Lucius beside her.

"I'm not mad, I do think you owe us an explanation." He managed, though his voice sounded strained and Ginny gave a nod, glanced at Lucius, and then looked back to her mum.

"You definitely owe us an explanation." The woman confirmed before ushering them all into the home, Lucius stared around, his icy eyes not revealing even a spot of his interest in the home.

Even though if he were forced to admit it, it was rather nice- it had a very homely feel.

LMGW

Lucius sat, despite the appearance of the furniture in the Burrow, heavily used and lumpy, it was quite comfortable.

Molly had insisted that they not do any talking until there was tea, Arthur was glaring at him rather vehemently, and Ginevra was acting as though she were stuck to him, some part of her body always touching his as she waited, twitching.

He pulled her hand away from her mouth, forcing her to stop gnawing at her poor nails, and held it in his, giving her a sharp look. She took a deep breath and he glanced to the other man, who was giving him a dark look.

"So, how did this come to be?" Molly sounded as though she was trying to remain calm but her hands shook as she held the tea tray and Lucius stood, took it from her, and settled it on the table between them with a steady hand. She shot a strange look to him, as if she wasn't sure if she should thank him, or hex him.

He settled back into his seat and took Ginevra's hand again, choosing to let her do the speaking.

"Well, you all know about the explosion in the tower. How is Ron by the way?" She bounced a bit, as if she'd just remembered her brother was injured, Lucius kept his eyes on Arthur's, their gazes locked.

"He's fine dear, don't avoid my question." Molly huffed, began to measure out tea for everyone and offered him a cup, he declined with the wave of his free hand and glanced to the redhead beside him, she was chewing the nails of her other hand now and he caught that one too.

"Hurting yourself will not make the situation go away, Ginevra." He dipped to breathe into her ear. Arthur made an annoyed noise and he sat up to stare at the man again. Molly and Ginny carried on whilst they had their staring contest.

"Well, they took me then, Luc and Bellatrix that is, and well, Bellatrix wanted to kill me, or torture me a little, at least." She paused as if lost in thought and he gave her hand a soft squeeze.  
"Luc stopped her, I stayed with him over the hols, while the others were planning to make a trade, me for Hermione, which I wouldn't have let happen." She scoffed haughtily and Lucius couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips.

His witch was a cocky little fireball.

"Your daughter changed my mind, about a lot of things." She glanced at him, he could see from the corner of his eye that she was staring at him hard. She hadn't expected him to speak.  
"We shared a lovely Christmas together, and then, when I returned to work I had, somehow, made her angry." She shot him a look.

"You know exactly why I was angry." She cocked an eyebrow at the playful gleam in his eye when he looked at her again, his thumb caressed the back of her hand.

"Be that as it may, I doubt your parents want to hear about that." That shut her up and she flushed bright red. The hand he wasn't holding shot up and slapped his shoulder, her bright eyes furrowed on him, deadly.

"Go on, you're telling the story so well." She huffed, turned to look at her parents, her parents who were looking between them with curiosity written on their faces. Even Arthur looked half as irritated at witnessing the exchange.

"I returned, several days ago, to find my former sister-in-law performing the Cruciatus curse on Ginevra." Lucius spoke, Molly gasped, Arthur looked ready to spit fire.

"Oh Ginny! Is this true?" She walked over and wrapped her daughter in her arms, wafting the scent of cookies and homeliness and breaking his hold on her daughter's hand. He wanted to frown but held himself back, waiting for the embrace to end so he could regain that contact.

"Yes mum, but I'm okay, Luc saved me, he took care of me, he even did his work from beside me to watch over me." She smiled when her mum pulled back and Lucius gave another stiff nod.

"I have severed my ties with them, and their cause. I have also written the necessary paperwork to withdraw my recension of specific muggleborn laws." He glanced to Ginevra.  
"Because it means so much to Ginevra." He looked back to Arthur. "I was hoping you would have a look and make sure they are entirely correct before I submit them for the Minister's approval?"

Arthur froze in his seat, Molly settled beside Ginevra, an arm around her shoulders and Lucius hooked her fingers back in his, looking down at their twined hands. Hers was so small in his, and her nails were ragged. He wished he'd noticed she'd been chewing on them earlier.

"I suppose I can." And the atmosphere shifted, some of the discomfort fading, though not disappearing completely, that would be too much to ask for.


	17. Sixteen

There was something alarmingly calming to Ginny about being back in her home. She would be staying for a week before she returned to Hogwarts, time to spend with her family and prepare to go back to her studies and a lot of questioning looks.

That wasn't all that calmed her however, the way her father and Lucius had both jumped into the withdrawal of anti-muggleborn legislation was enough to bring a smile to her face. She knew this was a complicated thing for her papa, something he'd never have expected but he was trying, and he was trying for her.

And she knew that little by little he was seeing the good in Lucius Malfoy, the untapped potential in him.

"Is it serious Ginevra?" Her mum's voice broke her from her thoughts as she stared at her two best men and she snapped her eyes to her mum, it was like looking into an older mirror. Even Lucius had mentioned that she looked just like her mum, it had once been a sensitive subject, she'd wanted to look like herself, but as she'd gotten older she came to think it was a good thing.

There were certainly worse people she could look like than her mum.

"What do you mean?" Her mum didn't even have the decency to blush when she spoke next.

"I mean, have you been physical." The woman cocked a red eyebrow and Ginny flushed bright red, her ears burning under her long fall of hair.

"Mum!" She gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at the woman who was watching her fidget with the wrapping on her presents, leftover from Christmas. It meant so much to her that they'd gotten her things, despite the fact she was gone.

"Well, it is a perfectly reasonable question, Ginevra, it's important that I know how serious this relationship is, and where it is going." She huffed, earning a glance from both men. She shot them a dark look and both looked away again, going back to their paperwork, Arthur flushing a bright red and muttering something about his mad wife.

"We haven't, not yet." She managed to mutter, her face turned away from her mum and burning bright red.  
"But it is serious, I think- that is to say I'm pretty sure- mum I might love him." She breathed under her breath, earning a wide-eyed look from the most influential person in her life. Her mum's response to this could make, or break her.

"Oh sweetie!" She wrapped her daughter into a hug and pulled her into her chest, Ginny tried not to cry, she could feel her papa, and Lucius staring at her.  
"I can't say that I understand, or even that I'm pleased by this turn of events." Molly pulled back to cup her daughter's face, wiping away a streaking tear.

Something the redhead was not prone to do.

"If you love him, Ginny, I will give him a chance, but if he breaks my only little girl's heart…" She trailed, shooting a dark look to the two men who immediately looked away, innocent looks on their faces.

"Trust me mum, there won't be much left to him if he breaks my heart." She gave her mum a wicked grin, one that earned a shake of the head and mutters under the elder woman's breath.

"Think how beautiful my grandbabies will be though!" She cooed as she bustled away and Ginny flushed bright red at the look Lucius shot her.

LMGW

"Her grandbabies, hmm, Ginevra?" Lucius smirked, staring down at her as they landed in Hogsmeade. She'd known he'd been itching to ask her about that since she'd been staying with her parents but unfortunately, he'd never found a spare second alone with her.

He was almost certain that was intentional on Arthur's part, however.

Ginny flushed bright red. "She always jumps to that conclusion, she said it when she found out Rose and Ron are together too! I swear I wasn't trying to imply anything like that." She waved her hands rapidly in front of her face while Lucius only smirked down at her, his stormy eyes playful.

"Is that right, is that to say you wouldn't want children with me, should the opportunity present itself?" He cocked a sharp blonde eyebrow and Ginny felt a little faint, her eyes going wide.

Thinking about it, the man was only forty-five, he could very well want more children. It made her wonder why he and Narcissa had not had more than only Draco.

"Of course I would!" She slapped her hands over her mouth. Her eyes wide but with a deep breath she sighed and lowered that hand.  
"I want children, at least three, and that's simply an expectation I have." She squared her shoulders.  
"Is that going to be a problem for you?"

Lucius' smirk morphed into a genuine grin as he dipped, bringing his mouth closer to hers and she realized, rather suddenly, he'd been backing her into the shadow of a building. Her movements only stopped by her back hitting a stone wall.

They were alone, away from the bustling street and his lips were so close to hers she could taste his breath and her stomach flipped. Maybe she'd gone too far? This was so new, they were so new, she didn't want to ruin it before it could even properly begin.

"So you have thought about having children with me?" There was a wicked gleam in his eyes and she felt her knees tremble, a foreign sensation that made her want all the more to stand up straighter. She glanced to the street and he tipped her head back to look at him with a hand.  
"Have you?" His voice had turned gruff, losing that liquid appeal to something harsher.

She wet her lips, her tongue flicking out and accidentally catching a light taste of his own. He grunted and connected their mouths, obviously tired of waiting for an answer as he pressed her back into the building and kissed her hard.

She worked her hands up, her fingers catching in his hair and making him huff as he pulled away from the kiss.

"I have." She managed, she felt the ridiculous dreamy look on her face, she registered the look on his face, the bit of shock and she chewed her already swollen lip.  
"You don't want more children? I mean, I drew that conclusion, you have an adult child, Draco, and he's the only one." She trailed, looking away and he tipped her face back to look at him.

"It is incredibly difficult to commit the necessary act to bring about a child when you feel little attraction to the woman you are meant to be procreating with. I imagine that is why you have so many siblings." He gave her a wicked smirk.  
"If your mother is anything like you, your father didn't stand a chance." The cloaked compliment caught her off guard and she squinted at him for a moment before pulling up onto her tiptoes and pressing another swift kiss to his lips.

"Well, that's settled now, we should hurry to the gates before they wonder if I've been kidnapped again." Lucius huffed a laugh as he caught her arm and hooked it in his, the green eyes of the snake that topped his cane catching her attention for a second before she looked back up at him.  
"That thing is creepy, by the way." She hummed thoughtfully as they carried on down the trail out of Hogsmeade.

He smirked and shook his head, pushing pale blonde hair over his shoulder.

"Yes, but, it was not creepy while it was saving your life, was it Ginevra?" He gave her a pair of raised eyebrows and she flushed.

"No, I don't guess it was." He stopped them, turning her to face him on the path and staring down in her face.

"You have to know, I never, never would have let her hurt you. I'm so sorry I walked away from you in that room, I feel sick when I think of leaving your side for even a second." He was staring down into her face. She was almost certain she'd never heard anything that lifted her heart quite so far out of her chest. She was sure it was fluttering away.

"Well, on the plus side I have my own wand now, thanks to you, and I know how to defend myself Luc, I'll be careful." She assured, a soft brush of his lips and they were on their way again, walking, his arm behind her and his hand on the small of her back as he escorted her to the gates. She already had permission to enter so when they came to them they stopped, stared at each other for a moment, and she flashed him a bright smile.

"You will come visit, right?" He gave a soft nod and brushed the hair back from her face.

"I will owl you."

"Every day?"

"You have incredible expectations of me, Ginevra." He smirked.

"Don't be a git, Luc, Owl me every day." She crossed her arms and he gave her a long look.

"And what will happen if I don't?"

"I will find you."

A dark chuckle. "And what will you do when you find me?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Deny you kisses."

"My heart."

"Shut'it."

"If that will please my dearest." She threw her arms around his chest, holding herself to him tightly and he stroked a hand down the back of her hair. He knew she was still suffering some effects from the Cruciatus, he could only hope her friends could help her through it. He didn't like the idea of her being so far from him, but it was a necessary separation.

"I'm going to miss you, snarky arse." She took a deep breath, her eyes pinched closed as he stroked her hair.

"Pressed as I am to admit it, I will miss you as well, Ginevra."

"Git."

"Yes."

"Prick."

"Obviously." She gave him one more lingering kiss and turned, walking away.

"Every day!" She called over her shoulder as he watched her go, a smirk on his face.

The witch was something special, he couldn't deny feeling lucky to have her.


	18. Seventeen

"Mi!" She was immediately enveloped in an embrace, hugging her friend back tightly as they came together in the Gryffindor common room. Others only stared at them, wondering where Ginny had been, and what had happened.

"I'm so glad you're okay Gin! I was so worried!" Hermione pulled back to look into her face, her eyes glimmering as they stared at one another.

They stood at nearly the same height and it made Hermione's piercing stares seem even more intense at times than if she'd been taller than her friend, she imagined.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She exclaimed, before her voice lowered a few octaves, glancing around. "We really need to talk." Hermione nodded, her eyes flicking around the room. Ron, Harry, and Rose were all outside, she informed Ginny as they made their way up the stairs and the redhead was glad for it. She needed to talk to her friend in private, and then she could be reunited with them all.

Ron was the only sibling she'd not seen over her week-long stay at home, she knew he'd be unhappy she'd not come to him sooner but she needed, needed to talk to Hermione.

"Okay, spill." The wild haired brunette crossed her arms as soon as they were safely shut in their dorm.

"Oh 'Mi! I'm in love, like really, really in love, and he's so fantastic." Hermione gave her a wide eyed look.

"I knew in your letters you were saying something like that, are you sure? I thought old men didn't interest you." A coy smirk, Ginny groaned.

"He's an old prick but he's so fantastic to me, he's not what I thought he was. He's revoking his legislation, Hermione." She gave her friend a long look, her tone lowered. Hermione watched her, amber eyes wide before she gasped and moved to sit down on the bed.

"He is, truly?" Ginny gave a nod and moved to sit beside her friend, a hand hooking around hers and a beaming smile on her face.

"For me, he hasn't changed his mind yet, 'Mi, but he's getting there." She exhaled.  
"That doesn't mean we're in the clear yet, Bellatrix and the rest of them are still quite determined to end us- I was, she used the Cruciatus curse on me while I was in Malfoy Manor." Hermione wrapped her in a hug and it was such a comfort.

"I'm so sorry Gin, no one should ever have to go through that! I remember it well." Ginny turned wide eyes to her.

"Have you remembered everything? Did you get your memories?"

"I did, in fact, the only reason I am here is because I am married to Severus, does this mean I will be able to return as a student?" Hermione asked, Ginny cleared her throat and gave a nod.

"It does, he's rescinded it all, pulled all of his backing for them, and demanded that they not set foot on his property or near me and my friends." Hermione's eyes twinkled at her, Ginny wrapped her friend in a huge hug.  
"You got married!? And I missed it!?" She cried, realizing what Hermione had said about Snape and the young woman gave her a broad smile, shaking her head.

"In our defense, we performed a very, very ancient bonding ceremony, one that no one could be present for, we wanted to be sure we couldn't be parted by the legislation." She laughed as they lay back on the bed, comfortable to just be beside one another.

"Hermione, they wanted to trade me for you, but I hope you know, I never would have let them have you." Ginny exhaled, the brunette grasped her hand in her own and gave a tight squeeze.

"Just like I would never let anyone hurt you." She turned her head to smile at her and Ginny gave the hand that held hers a squeeze back.

"Bellatrix is coming for us, though, we need to be careful. Luc is so worried, he doesn't express it like you or me would but he is, I can see it in his eyes. He insisted he buy me a wand, so I could properly defend myself." She added, an afterthought, and produced the lovely yew length of wood, Hermione gave her a wide smile.

"I really am happy for you, even if he is a pureblood prick."

"Oh, he's most definitely a pureblood prick." Ginny agreed with a nod. "It's just, he's my pureblood prick."

"I understand, it seems I've ended up with my very own brooding dungeon bat." They shared a laugh before settling into more mundane conversation.

LMGW

Ginny stared with wide eyes as Harry and Draco kissed against a wall, her jaw nearly dislodged from the lower half of her face as she watched them.

"How long has that been going on?" She muttered, wide eyes unmoving as she spoke to Hermione stood beside her. Ron and Rose had gone on into the Great Hall, obviously accustomed to the sight.

Ginny however had only been back at school for two days and she'd not yet seen the sight. It was baffling, how quickly they'd flipped from pretending to hate one another to snogging in plain sight.

"Oh, since the Holidays, Draco said his mother was keeping unpleasant company and Dumbledore invited him to Grimmauld to spend more time learning to get along with Harry." Hermione laughed.  
"Well, they're definitely getting along now."

Ginny gave a soft nod and shook her head. Before it may have been a painful sight to see her childhood crush kissing someone else.

Especially a man, but, she didn't even feel a twinge of jealousy.

She thought of stormy grey eyes and pale blonde hair, he consumed her thoughts.

"Breakfast then?" She shook her head, trying to get over it as she glanced to Hermione.

"Probably for the best, you'd need a spell to part them, and then they just pop right back together." The brunette laughed, shot a look down the hall, and gave her a sad look.

"The husband calls?" She cocked a red eyebrow and Hermione gave her a small nod.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you need to spend time with your spouse." She nodded, urging her friend away. She thought about her options as she watched her brown curls disappear down the hall.

She could go into the Great Hall and be bombarded by Ron and Rose's sweet love story, she could stay where she was and watch Harry and Draco snog- no thank you- or she could go outside, enjoy a bit of the fading winter, and wait for her letter from Luc.

She chose to do the last one, the other two options didn't even deserve a second thought.

LMGW

Ginny sat in her seat, the Three Broomsticks wasn't exactly busy, but it wasn't a silent day either. She fidgeted a bit in her place. She was waiting for Lucius, who had promised to visit with her for the day.

She'd been feeling excessively excited about seeing the blonde wizard, she'd only been a week without him and already she wanted his company more than she wanted anyone else's.

Of course it didn't help that Hermione was completely wrapped up in Severus, Harry in Draco, Ron in Rose, she cleared her throat. She'd had to take to spending her time with Fern, who seemed less than pleased but tolerated her company for the most part.

She looked around again, trying to look comfortable and more than likely failing miserably.

A hand swept through her hair from behind and she turned to find Lucius stood behind her, his grey eyes locked on her face and a blonde eyebrow raised.

"Will we be giving our patronage to this," he looked around, "establishment. Or have you somewhere else in mind that we should go?"

She could only grin up at him, she'd missed his attitude, unbelievably enough.

"I think you owe me a real first date." She raised red eyebrows challengingly, earning only a nod.


	19. Eighteen

"I couldn't agree more, I would be more than happy to give you that date." He smirked, holding out a hand to help her up and she grinned, she hadn't expected it to be so easy. He pulled her to her feet and into a short embrace before he pulled back and, with one hand on her hip, gave her a long look.  
"Where is it you would have our date take place?"

She hummed in thought for a moment before giving him a look, eyes sparkling excitedly.

"You'll figure it all out for us, won't you Luc?" She had those beautiful, wide brown eyes gazing up at him and if even if he could have denied her, he wouldn't have.

"I will, tomorrow, we will meet here tomorrow and I will escort you on a proper date. Now, for today, what is it you have planned for us?" She gave a sigh and glanced around, no one was really paying attention to them and it was a comfort to her.

"Ginny! There you are!" A male voice called over her shoulder and she turned, her side brushing against Lucius as she faced her friend. The blonde hooked his arm around her waist, holding her beside him and she glanced up at him, his eyes were on her, not the pair who'd entered the small pub and inn.

"Hi Harry, Draco!" She greeted, Lucius' eyes snapped to his son and she thought for a sad second that he would pull away from her.

"Ginny," Draco furrowed his brow, "dad?"

"Well, this is not how I would have hoped for you to find out about this." He cleared his throat, two sets of stormy grey eyes locked on one another.

It hadn't occurred to Ginny that her friends may not have told Draco, she had just assumed they would have informed him. It seemed silly to pretend it was a secret, it wasn't a secret to her, it was something she was proud of.

Now looking up at Lucius, between him and Draco, she couldn't decide if this was something he was proud about, or if it was subject he had meant to keep private.

She moved to pull away but he hooked his fingers around her hip and held her against his side.

Well- she supposed that answered her question.

Draco gave a sort of half-shrug and Ginny caught Harry's eye, giving him a questioning look. He answered her with pursed lips and a full, all out, over the top shrug.

"I, well, she's better than whoever it is mum's shacking up with this week." He cleared his throat, looking to Ginny who tried to smile, though she thought it may have turned out to be a grimace.

Lucius gave a stiff nod. Ginny cleared her throat.

"I think that, maybe next weekend we should have dinner together, the four of us." She glanced up at Lucius.  
"Actually, if you wouldn't be opposed we could make that six, Hermione and Severus would like to join us too I'm sure." She was giving the man a pleading look, she could feel it, burned across her face.

It was Harry who spoke up next, blessedly.

"I'd love that! Draco and I haven't really talked about you much, I'd like to get to know you." He added, threading his fingers through his boyfriend's. His boyfriend who was giving him a long, affectionate look.

Ginny turned her eyes back up to Lucius and he was still looking down at her, not responding to Harry.

He swallowed and glanced to the two young men holding hands not far from them. The Inn seemed to have gone quiet, Ginny suddenly felt like everyone was staring at them and she felt her face growing hot.

Lucius exhaled, noticing her discomfort and giving a soft nod.

"I suppose that will be fine, I'll have Dobby prepare a meal for eight." He looked to his son who looked just as relieved as the witch at his side. Ginny noticed Harry was watching them with interest but said nothing, most likely thinking he was going to be ignored.  
"I would like to become acquainted with my son's choice of partner as well." Ginny felt her heart swell with pride.

Lucius was a bigot at the best of times, and he was trying. She wrapped her arm around his back and held herself to him as they said their goodbyes and agreed to meet in the same place the next Saturday. She turned her face, and body, and clutched herself to him when they were gone.

"I don't think I've ever been so proud of someone in my life." She spoke into his dark grey robes and she felt his hand sift through her hair softly.

He exhaled a half-chuckle.

"This is going to be the most uncomfortable meal ever had. Severus despises me." He cocked an eyebrow at her when she pulled back and she pursed her lips.

"Weren't you friends once?"

"Once, a long time ago." He gave a nod of confirmation.  
"Now, shall we go visit the sweet shop, I believe I recall someone complained in her most recent letter about being out of her favorites." Ginny could feel her face light up, the smile that his words pried out of her making her cheeks ache a little.

"They are necessary for survival." She grinned and he shook his head, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"If you insist."

LMGW

Ginny smiled at herself in the mirror. She'd dressed casually, just as Lucius had told her to, and she was pretty proud of her appearance, the long red hair clipped back on her head so that it was in a half up-half down style.

She wore a black top, that draped over her torso and was dotted with little stars that looked like they were twinkling if she turned just right and a pair of dark jeans. She was comfortable, but she thought she looked cute as well.

"You look great." Hermione reassured her from the doorway and she turned to give her friend a broad smile.

"Did Harry tell you about dinner, next weekend?" She asked and Hermione gave a soft nod.

"Yes, Severus said it will be terribly uncomfortable but he'll do almost anything I ask of him." She smirked wickedly and Ginny shook her head at that little bit of playfulness in her typically serious friend.

"He's good for you."

"He's my perfect other half." She gave a soft nod and Ginny grinned.

"I'm happy for you, y'know?" Hermione nodded at her and came over to wrap her in a hug, they hugged for a moment.

"I was hurt, I'm sure you realize, when I first heard you were with him, he did some very terrible things in the time I changed, but then I realized. You're changing him, you're making him better, and I can't try to make them the same person in my mind, because they aren't. He isn't who he was then, neither is Severus, nor are you, me, or even Ron and Harry. It's a complicated feeling but I appreciate you so much, for being this you. You are the best friend I've ever had, no matter what time, or timeline I find myself in." Ginny sniffed and pulled back, turning her head to keep from crying on her friend.

"Oi, if you ever go back in time again we're going together, okay? No more of this lone wolf business." She gave Hermione a grin and she shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Hopefully we never end up in that situation again."

"I'll fight to the death with you, either way, you're my best friend." They both cleared their throats and looked around the room.  
"Now that all that emotional business is over, I wonder what Luc has planned."

"Have fun." Hermione grinned and flitted from the room, she seemed so much older than her nearly nineteen years. It was a harsh reminder for Ginny of all she'd been through.

LMGW

"Where are we?" Ginny asked, looking around. She'd met Lucius in Hogsmeade, they'd apparated to the outskirts of a town she'd never seen before, and then traveled by portkey to yet another location.

"It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?" He cocked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head.

"Prat." The smile on her face gave away her true feelings though as he lead her through the small clearing toward what looked to be a gathering of tents.

She realized when they arrived that that was exactly what it was, a gathering of tents. There was a Quidditch pitch a space in the distance and she glanced up at Lucius with wide eyes. What was he playing at exactly.

"You've told me how much you enjoy Quidditch, and when I was considering it I thought, what would you like more than to meet your favorite team?" He cocked an eyebrow and she felt her mouth drop open, one of the tent's flaps opened and out stepped a professional Quidditch player.

She thought she may faint.

Gregory Cotton, the seeker for the Appleby Arrows, her current favorite team stepped up to her and held out a hand first to Lucius.

"Great to see you again, Mr. Malfoy." The men shook hands as Ginny looked between them.

Oh, this man was going above and beyond anything she could have dreamed.

"You as well, Mr. Cotton. This is Ginevra Weasley, she's quite the fan."

"She must be, for you to secure the entirety of our practice." He turned to her and gave her a wide smile.  
"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Weasley, fancy a match?" She thought his cheeks must hurt from grinning so much, because her did, she gave a wild nod and just like that she was being lead onto the pitch and Lucius was watching her from a set of makeshift stands.

"That, was amazing, but it hardly constitutes a date, Luc." She smiled as they walked back to the portkey, she had to admit, she was exhausted now, and oh-so-incredibly happy. She'd had a wonderful time playing with the team, and even more fun when Lucius had cheered for her. She'd never felt anything quite so thrilling.

"Who said the date is over?" He cocked an eyebrow at her, his lips twitching to turn up into a smirk and she gave him a smile.

"I don't think I can handle any more excitement, you've thoroughly done me in." She laughed and he caught her, drawing her into his arms as he snagged the portkey.

When they appeared just outside of the little town they'd come from he continued to hold her to him, giving her a deep look.

"No more excitement then, we will have dinner." He looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn't want to say it all at the same time.  
"I'm not ready to be parted from you yet. You were fantastic, you could be a professional after school." He cleared his throat, not accustomed to sharing such sentiments and she grinned at him.

"Thank you Luc, that means so much to me." She cupped his cheek and relished in the feeling of his lips against hers as he gave her a long, deep kiss. His exploration of her mouth was almost leisurely, the way he seemed to need to explore every dip and curve of her mouth, she sucked his tongue delicately and swiped her own against it and his chest rumbled with a low sound as he pulled away from her to give her a stormy look.

"We should eat, you exerted a lot of energy." He pressed his lips to her forehead and lead her into the small town, to a little café. It boasted soft lighting and incredibly comfortable chairs and they ate in relative peace.

They'd grown accustomed to sharing meals with one another over her time with him, in fact, it had been odd for her, eating in the great hall after all of her time eating with the very proper Lucius Malfoy.

She giggled when he grabbed her to apparate away when they left and his smirk was not lost on her when they appeared in Hogsmeade once more.

Conversation was light when he walked her to the school's gates and he gave her another lingering kiss, his hands hooked into her hair as they said soft goodbyes, he watched her enter the gates before he left and she could have screamed with happiness.

She knew if she ever dated anyone else they would not compare.

And wasn't it just like Lucius to leave that kind of lasting impression, one that would prevent her from ever wanting to give her attention elsewhere.


	20. Nineteen

Lucius met Ginny in Hogsmeade, the two traveled to Malfoy Manor as a pair and she sighed when they landed just outside the gates.

"Can I admit that it's beautiful here, now that I'm not being kidnapped?" She smirked as she glanced up at him from beneath her lashes and he gave a short, deep chuckle.

"I knew you liked it." Came his cocky response to which she could only roll her eyes as he escorted her up the drive and into the doors.

It was like walking into the Burrow when she entered the large Manor. Her shoulders relaxed and she heaved a deep breath, shooting Lucius a look.

"I know this may sound very, very strange but I missed this place."

"Did you, Ginevra?" His voice was in her ear, his breath caressing the shell and stirring the hair just around it. His hands were on her lower stomach, pulling her back flush against him and she sighed to herself. It was strange, to be happy to be in his arms again.

"So, why did you say eight, Luc? By my count we are only six, us two, Harry and Draco, and Hermione and Snape." He held her tightly to his front, his lips dipping to run along her slender neck and shoulder.

"Well, if you must know, observant witch, I have invited your parents as well." She lay her head back against his shoulder as he loomed behind her and tipped her head to kiss his cheek, her eyes closing in peace.

"You invited them? Really? I thought you hated them?"

"I have had a change of heart."

"Please don't take yourself too far out of your comfort zone for me." She laughed when he spun her in place so that she was facing him. Her bright brown eyes glowing up at him.

"I will do whatever I please and I won't have you telling me otherwise." He cocked an eyebrow at her and she shook her head, a laugh barely restrained.

"Is that so, quite the git aren't you?" She pursed her lips and moved to pull away from him, instead he held her fast, his hands fixed firmly on her lower back.

"A git that wants nothing more than to kiss you senseless." He moved his lips just a hair's breadth from hers, his smoky eyes locked on her own as he teased at her.  
"I have a gift for you." She whimpered when he pulled away and he smirked at her, holding his hand out in offer before leading her up the stairs and to the room they'd been sharing not too terribly long ago.

She missed the room, she missed his bed, it was almost like a feeling of homesickness, being away from the Manor.

It was strange, aside from Hogwarts and the Burrow she'd never felt such an attachment to a place.

"Wait here." He directed her to the edge of the bed and she plopped onto it, laying back and taking a deep breath.

"I love this bed." She cooed as he walked across the room and pulled open the doors to one of what she realized were two wardrobes in his room.

Hadn't there only been one before, hadn't hers been located in another room before?

She knew he didn't want her to watch what he was doing and so she kept her eyes on the other wardrobe, his wardrobe.

"I knew it was my bed you wanted me for." He chuckled to her left and she rolled her eyes.

"Git."

"So I've heard."

"You should consider it a cause to improve."

"And have I not yet improved to your standard, Ginevra?" She sniffed, and cleared her throat, her eyes drifting to him just as the wardrobe door closed. He held a box, long and slender in both hands, his eyes dancing with humor, and something deeper that looked almost like disappointment as he stared at her.

"Put that down and come here." She hooked a finger at him and he settled it on the bed, not far from her head but far enough not to be jostled and stood near her knees hooked over the edge of the bed.

She sat up, grasped his hands in hers, and tugged him closer.

"You don't have to change, or improve, anything else Luc." She pulled once more, one firm tug that caught him off guard and brought him crashing down on top of her while she fell back. He barely had a chance to catch himself on the palms of his hands and he smirked, hovering above her.

"You have me know, what will you do with me?" He raised pale eyebrows at her and it was her turn to smirk, her eyes glimmering up at him.

"What won't I do with you?" She whispered playfully, raising her head to kiss him softly on the lips before falling back into the mattress. He took a breath, giving her a long look that made her breathing stutter momentarily.

"You should open your gift, and get ready."

"We have at least two hours."

"Two hours that will be best spent preparing for our guests." He dipped to kiss her, a deep kiss, filled with the longing of being denied her company for yet another week.

"Our guests?" She exhaled when he pulled back and he kissed her forehead, hauling himself from above her and grabbing up the box above her head.

She pulled herself to a seated position with a pout but looked over the long white box in his hands.

"What is it?" She bit her lip as she watched him bring it down to settle into her hands, she sighed, testing the weight of the box and smiled.

She had a fair idea what it was.

She was stunned however when she opened the box to find the deepest blue fabric she'd ever seen. It shimmered slightly in the light and she reached out with trembling fingers to stroke it before she pulled it out to find a near exact replica of her mint colored dress robes. This however was in a striking color of blue and the fabric was so much softer than the first set.

"Luc," she cooed, "you know how I feel about frilly dresses." She laughed, her eyes lighting on his face and he gave her a smirk.

"I couldn't resist, not thinking how you looked in the last. You will look lovely," he stroked red hair back from her face and grazed her jaw and chin with his fingertips, "we will entertain our guests, and I have acquired permission that you spend the evening here, with me, I will return you to Hogwarts tomorrow evening."

She grinned, her skin rioting under where his fingers curled on her skin. His hands were so soft, his touch lingering.

"Come here, prick." She settled the box off to the side, her tone affectionate as he knelt on his knees between her legs hanging off the bed and she pulled him into a kiss. This one as intense as their first, their tongues in a battle for dominance as she showed him her thanks for his gift in the best way she knew how.

"Still a prick am I?"

"A terrible old prick." She confirmed, her eyes sparkling when they broke away and he kissed her once more gently.

"So long as I am your terrible old prick I suppose I will let it slide." He gave her a wicked look and she had to look away to keep from flushing a bright red. She brought her eyes back to his when she thought she may have her feelings under control and cleared her throat.

"You are definitely my terrible old prick, and you should most certainly not forget it."


	21. Twenty

Ginny greeted her parents at the door, who gave her wide eyed looks at the dress robes she wore and she sighed to herself.

She'd thought it may be too much, that they may take it the wrong way, she'd hoped they wouldn't shoot her those odd little glances, however. In fact she'd hoped they'd understand that the robes were a gift from Lucius and she wanted to wear them, wanted to show them off because he'd bought them for her.

 _Just for her._

It was a feeling she was unaccustomed to and she often had to remind herself not to get used to it. This relationship was new, it may not last, it may last forever. She had no true way of knowing.

Luc greeted her parents and showed them to the sitting room for drinks, he had turned the charm up several notches and she snorted a laugh as soon as they were out of the room at the wicked sparkle in his eyes when only she could see him.

He was a cad, a complete prick and there was nothing to be done for it, but somehow she found it endearing.

Somehow, she found herself enjoying it.

Harry and Draco came next, the former giving her a tight hug while the latter tapped his foot impatiently and muttered snarky, half-niceties under his breath. It was when Hermione and Severus arrived that she emitted a high squeal and tugged her friend into her arms.

The austere potions master only stood behind her, his posture tense and his front nearly pressed to her back as he loomed over her. It was sweet, she supposed, the way he looked after her friend.

"You look beautiful Gin." Hermione supplied in her ear as they hugged and she rubbed her back.

She observed her friend for a long moment when they broke apart, in a set of beautiful lavender dress robes that swept to the floor and gave her a very regal look. Snape, as always, wore his frockcoat and black robes but seemed to have foregone his sweeping, much to Ginny's humor.

"I should say the same to you!" She exclaimed before giving Snape a look. "Everyone is in the sitting room, can I borrow your wife for a minute?" She tried to give him a reassuring smile but she was sure it wobbled.

He gave her a long, intense look that made her stomach clench before he placed a soft kiss on Hermione's cheek and whispered something in her ear that made the brunette smile with a giggle. He drifted away, vanishing down the hall and Ginny could feel her posture relax.

"What's wrong, Gin?" Hermione asked as soon as she was sure they were alone and she shrugged.

"I look to fancy, mum and dad, they gave me this terrible look. I think I hurt their feelings." She was staring at the soft fabric of her robes across her legs, the way it clung and swayed, like fluid on her small frame. She adored the robes, but in that moment she wanted to take them off.

"Oh, Ginny, you can't feel bad for having something nice, is that what this is about?" Ginny was swept into another hug and she gave a soft nod, a sigh as she hugged her friend back.

"You have just as much right to be treated fantastically as anyone else, Gin." She rubbed her shoulders and Ginny smiled, trying to reconcile the idea.

"Thanks 'Mi, how are things with Snape? I hardly see you at school." She managed to shift the attention to something else, still feeling a bit uncomfortable but wanting to know how her best friend was, they'd barely seen each other for the past week, or talked for that matter.

With Hermione living in Snape's chambers they didn't stay up for late night talks and study sessions anymore.

"We're good, we spend a lot of time in bed…" Ginny cut her off with a hand.

"Reading, I know, I imagine you do a lot of reading." A wicked smile tugged Hermione's lips and Ginny groaned.  
"I don't want to know."

"Is everything okay, ladies?" A voice from behind her made Ginny spin and she gave the cocky bastard standing in front of her large grin.

"Everything is fine Luc."

"Madam Snape." He greeted Hermione cordially. She knew he still didn't see her friend as his equal, still, he was trying, and that was more than she would have ever expected from him.

"Mr. Malfoy." She gave a nod as Snape swept around him and joined Hermione at her side, looking for all the world like he would be anywhere but there.

Ginny really hoped they could all learn to get along.

"Dinner is ready, master." Dobby appeared with a pop before disappearing again, leaving the tension in the air waning.

"Draco, escort the Snapes and Weasleys to the dining room, I need to have a word with Ginevra." She hadn't even realized Draco was there, leaning against Harry and talking lowly between them. He snapped to attention and rolled his eyes even as he cleared his throat.

"Right, still think it's weird you're married to my godfather, come along then." He coaxed, Hermione gave a wicked little laugh as she passed him.

"And what about when Ginny becomes your stepmum." Ginny almost fell over laughing right there at the pale look on Draco's face as Hermione and Severus passed them and made their way to the room that held Ginny's parents. Soon the group was off, Draco acting as a tour guide, telling them all about the fantastic history of his family home while Hermione giggled behind his back.

"Are you okay, Ginevra?" Luc strolled up to her after they were all gone and held the sides of her face, staring into her eyes and caressing her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

"I'm fine, I just felt like my parents may not approve of this." She motioned to her robes, he sniffed, cleared his throat, and gave a tight nod.

"Ginevra, I cannot say that I particularly care what your parents think. In fact, they are only here because I care for you and wanted to give you the comfort of family during an uncomfortable meal." He tipped her face up to look into his with his thumb on her chin, stormy eyes holding her attention.  
"You cannot dwell on what they think forever, if they do not like the lifestyle I can offer you then they are more than welcome to see themselves out. I will continue to offer you the things I think you deserve and there is no one that will ever stop me, save for you."

Ginny furrowed her brow, surprised by the sentiment. Still she managed to wrap her arms around his torso and suck in a deep breath, eyes closed as the sharp scent of his cologne tickled her nose.

"Let's get this over with." She heaved her shoulder, only to be met with a bright chuckle from the man clutched to her. She gave a short laugh herself.

"I think that is a good idea, my little fireball."

"Fireball?" She cocked an eyebrow as she pulled back, straightened her dress robes and gave him a look.

"You can call me a git and prick but I cannot call you a fireball?" He cocked his own eyebrow back and she pursed her lips, a smile trying to fight its way on her face.

"Honestly? I would have thought you would come up with something more insulting."

"I will work on that then." He smirked, offered an arm to her and lead her to her doom, or- dinner.

LMGW

To the credit of the Weasleys, Lucius thought, they managed to make it through most of the meal without commenting on Ginevra's attire. It was abundantly clear to him that everyone, save the Weasleys, understood how one dressed when attending a dinner party at Malfoy Manor.

Even the mudblo-Hermione- had managed to dress nicely enough, looking lovely on the arm of Severus Snape. The pair had spoken at length through owl post and had come to an agreement, they needed to set aside their differences and figure out a way to get along as they had when they were young, if they were going to be involved with a set of friends as close as Ginevra and Hermione were.

When the couple did comment however, he could see the hurt in the witch's eyes at the gentle bite of their words. He didn't think they even intended to hurt her feelings, Gryffindors blundering through their days saying what they thought without any consideration for the consequences.

This was something he knew he and Severus could see eye to eye on.

"I think Ginny looks lovely." Hermione smiled, settling her napkin onto the table and giving the redhead a broad smile. Lucius couldn't help but be grateful, fists clenched beneath the table.

He would sooner hex the couple into oblivion than see the witch upset, it was good there was at least one, no, _two_ he thought as Potter jumped into the discussion, adding he'd never seen her look so pretty, who had a sense of diplomacy.

Ginevra beamed at her friends as they came to her rescue and he silently thanked Merlin, Circe, the cosmos that he'd not reacted immediately. His temper was volatile at best, despite the soothing effect the witch seemed to have on his patience with her, he was still easily tried, and annoyed, by those around him.

"Is it appropriate, in your opinion, to make such remarks to your daughter?" Severus chimed now, and he could see the bushy brunette's hand shift under the table, presumably soothing the wizard.

Ah yes, Severus was a Slytherin as well, after all, they were all volatile, in their own ways.

"Oh Ginny, we didn't mean anything by it sweetie." She nodded at her mum and turned back to her meal, the meal that fell back to comfortable conversation and Lucius stroked the hair back from her face softly when he was certain no one was paying attention, wrapped up in their own conversations.

"It is lucky for your friend, Ginevra, I may have done something to make you hate me, had she not spoken up." He spoke just loud enough for her to hear and she turned to him with a cocked eyebrow, her brown eyes twinkling. Gods those eyes were lovely.

"Does this mean you can see yourself accepting her at some point?" Her lips twitched, a smile threatening to take her face and he heaved a breath.

"I believe it means I can see myself tolerating her for as long as I must." He managed carefully and the witch gave him a wide smile, before shrugging and schooling her face into something less excited.

"I guess that means I can see myself tolerating you for a time longer as well." She returned haughtily before sticking the spoon that dangled loosely in her hand into her mouth and smiling around it.

"Cheeky witch."

The conversation would have carried on in such a manner, if the wards that surrounded the Manor were not triggered in that instant, invoking a loud pop near the front gates that sent them all rigid in their seats.


	22. Twenty One

"Severus, you should get your wife out of here." Lucius stood, wand in hand as all the others surrounding his table did so as well. Hermione gave Ginny a long look, catching her friend's gaze already locked on her.

"He's right, you need to go, they'll be here for you." She nodded, motioning to the fireplace.

"You should go as well Ginevra." Luc spoke and she shot him a hard look.

"Like hell I will."

Snape was urging Hermione to the fireplace, Ginny could hear her arguing lowly, beneath her breath, before Snape bent and whispered something into her ear and she hung her head, her eyes flitting to her friend again.

Ginny hadn't missed the fact that Hermione had foregone alcohol, she hadn't missed the way her hands, and Snape's had lingered near her stomach throughout the meal. No, she had caught on to what was happening, and she knew no matter how stubborn her friend was she would protect her child first and foremost.

She also was not at all hurt by her friend not sharing the news, she knew she'd tell her when she was good and ready. Obviously she was not far enough along to be comfortable sharing, she was also early enough in the pregnancy that the risk of loss was far too high.

Ginny gave her a nod and watched as the two disappeared into the floo network, spinning away in a blaze of green fire.

"Who is it, can you tell by the wards?" Her dad asked, his blue eyes locked on the door, wand clutched in hand and Lucius gave a sharp nod.

Harry and Draco had moved forward, pushing Ginny back a bit and she all but growled at them.

She was not a little girl that needed protecting. She could fight just as well as any of them, maybe even better.

"You're not pushing me out of this fight." She shoved herself between the two men, her shoulders jamming at them despite their statures above her own. Lucius shot her an amused look and shook his head.

When this was over she knew she could expect to have words.

She almost rolled her eyes, almost. Instead she focused on the second loud pop that resounded, this one closer than the gates.

If it was Bellatrix coming it made sense, she was an incredibly powerful witch, one who could certainly tear down Lucius' well-constructed wards, despite her crazed nature.

Her new wand at the ready she stared hard at the door, she could hear her parents shifting in their positions around the room just as the main doors to the Manor slammed open.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" A mad cackle broke down the hall and into the dining room. Ginny heaved a breath, shifting her own position so she was beside Lucius, no longer sandwiched between Harry and Draco, Draco who was working his jaw rather relentlessly and Harry who looked no worse for the situation.

In fact, if anything he seemed to be the most relaxed of them all.

She thought about his father, James, and realized it made sense. In fact, when she thought of the entire group of them she imagined they were all this relaxed before a duel.

"Well, well, well, it seems we've interrupted a party." Bella cooed as she stood in the broad doorway, her wild eyes locking on each individual in the room for a short second before lingering on Ginny. It made her skin crawl, even more intensely when Crouch Jr. joined her on one side, staring at her and flicking his tongue out to lick his lips.

"Creep." She grumbled, Lucius chuckled but said nothing as he watched as well.

Bellatrix was joined by four others and it was unfortunate for their part that they were evenly matched.

The only two Ginny recognized were Bellatrix and Barty, which suited her just fine, she had no real desire to know the others.

"Are you feeling hungry, Fenrir? I see several snacks in this room for you!" The mad witch cackled, her wand shooting out a quick flick of white light that was blocked and shot back at her almost instantly by Lucius.

Ginny sucked a deep breath, watching as everyone began to break off, choosing carefully who they were to attack. She glared at Crouch who was obviously more interested in getting at her than the others and couldn't focus on anyone else but him, her wand held high in front of her.

"Come on little lover," flick, "just come with old Barty and we'll go away from all this," flick, "you know you don't wanna," flick, "fight with me." Ginny wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Locomotor Wibbly!" Ginny called, a flick of her wand, Barty easily repelled the jinx and she cursed under her breath. She was going to have to employ stronger magic, Lupin, their DADA professor had always told them to start easy, and if it didn't pay off to work their way up to more advanced spellwork.

It was obvious this duel was going to require something heavier.

"Please," flick, "that is child's play," flick.  
"Crucio!" He called out the forbidden curse and she barely managed to repel the curse.

"I'm paying attention this time, bastard!" She breathed lowly, her eyes narrowed on him.

"Expulso!" She cast rather suddenly as he was preparing another cast and sent him flying back and into the hall, she pursued, her dress robes catching on her feet but she didn't let it stop her from pointing her wand in his face.

"Locomotor mortis!" He caught her off guard and her legs locked suddenly, sending her toppling to the floor and ripping the soft fabric of her dress.

"Damn!" She watched as he began to stand, her mind searching for the counter curse. "Locomotor Vitae!" She scrambled to her feet and Crouch smirked at her, that tongue flicking out to lick her lips again. She heard a crash in the dining area but she couldn't focus on that, she couldn't focus on anything except the man standing in front of her.

"Clever, clever." His tongue flicked out again and she squinted, she had a smart remark, right on the edge of her tongue but decided to instead employ another curse.

"Reducto!" The blast of air from one of her favorite curses blew her hair and dress robes wildly around her face as he was sent flying back from the explosion just at his feet. She advanced, her wand moving quickly in her hand as he cast in the same moment.

"Crucio…"  
"Confringo!" The two curses met in the air and canceled one another out, Ginny was growing annoyed as the wizard stood, that stupid smirk still on his face.

"Colloshoo!" She cast, sticking his feet to the floor with a fairly basic hex before she dashed around him to stand at his back.

While he was focusing on the counter-hex she put her wand to the back of his neck and both his hands rose into the air.

"Immobulus." She exhaled and watched as his body went rigid in place, as if frozen, her eyes darted to the dining area where she spotted Lucius sprawled on the floor, her father pressing back the man called Fenrir.

Her action was immediate, she turned, moved back down the hall with haste, and before Bellatrix could see her coming.  
"Incendio." She cast, catching the bottom of the witch's robes on fire and distracting her long enough for Lucius to stand again, his eyes locking on her, looking her over and finding her no worse for the wear.

Suddenly a rope of fire spiked into her back from somewhere behind her and she fell forward, hearing the gasp of her mum and the snarl of Lucius, she made to stand, but fell again when the sensation struck her back again and she fell back forward, she could feel the scorching of her skin but it was only a second before she had no concept of anything that was happening at all.

LMGW

Ginny opened her eyes, her stomach clenching when she realized she was lying on her stomach in Lucius' bed. She groaned and made to move but a soft hand held her down.

"What happened?" She groaned, her voice crackled and she could feel the hand smoothing across her shoulders. She knew it was Lucius behind her, his soft hand caressing her back and then her hair, the sharp smell of him nearly overwhelming her.

"You were knocked unconscious, and severely burned. Severus will be sending some burn paste that should heal you directly but until then you need to remain still." He knelt in the floor so he could look her in the face and she gave him a weak smile.  
"You saved my life, Ginevra, when you distracted Bellatrix, you interrupted a killing curse, and you managed to shift the fight in our direction." He stroked the hair back from her face, grey eyes locked on her.

She managed a groan and reached a hand up to cup his on her face.

"It was nothing, just another day in the life." She laughed, winced at the tight, sharp pain in her back, and he kissed her forehead.

"You are a force to be reckoned with, little witch. Barty Jr. has been handed over to the Aurors for attacking you, it took them quite some time to unfreeze him, it would seem your charm was strong." He smirked at this, his thumb still moving across her face despite her hand cupped over his.

"Lupin is a very good defense professor."

"I would not want to duel you, that is for certain."

Ginny scoffed, and then winced again, regretting it. "You'd wipe the floor with me." Her eyes went wide as she suddenly realized they were alone.

"Where are my parents? Harry and Draco? Is everyone else okay?" She felt the frantic need to know immediately how everyone else was, that no one else was hurt.

"Minor injuries, your parents are asleep in a guest room, though they disliked my choice of location for you. Draco and Harry have also occupied a guest room for the night and will be returning to the school tomorrow."

"I ruined our night together." He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You? Bellatrix ruined our night." He cleared his throat and stood, moving around to the other side of the bed to lay down beside her, still fully dressed, only his boots kicked from his feet.

"What happened to them?"

"They escaped, all but Crouch, whom I must express again you did an impressive job subduing."

"He kept going back to the Cruciatus curse, it was a tad predictable." She flushed as she turned her face to look at him again and he brushed red hair out of her eyes. The back of his fingers were soft against her cheek.

"He is not a wizard to be trifled with, Ginevra, you accomplished something fighting him off. Do not down play your achievement, I imagine he underestimated you fairly severely. It is a mistake they won't make again." He stroked her cheek for a moment longer before moving down to her silk covered shoulder.

"They ruined my robes."

"I will replace them with dozens more like them if you wish." He was watching her, those cloudy grey eyes intent on her face. She gave him another half-smile and nodded, a yawn breaking her lips.  
"Rest, I will wake you when the salve arrives and we will treat your wounds." He let his hand fall away only to find her arm coming up and her fingers twining with his.

She gave another soft nod into the pillow, winced, and drifted off to sleep, his eyes still locked on her face.


	23. Twenty Two

Ginny woke to the fabric of her robes being pulled away from her sore flesh. She hissed a breath and buried her face in her arms. Lucius' soft hand smoothed the hair away from her neck and back and he kissed the back of her head gently.

"Luc." She whimpered at the fabric being pulled away once more and he shushed her with a soft hand on her head.

"The salve arrived a few moments ago, I'm going to apply it and then you will feel much better." He soothed and she closed her eyes and returned her face to her arms. When he finished removing the scraps of robe on her back he discarded them to the side with an annoyed huff and gentle fingers coated in cool salve began to caress along her back, down the burning and stinging gashes in her back and cooling them immediately.

He continued rubbing until she could no longer feel the wounds at all and she turned her head to see him, he was staring at her hard, his hand still caressing her back softly as he stared.

"Ginevra, I…" She stopped him with a noise and sat up, the front of her dress robes fell and she covered herself with a sheet, turning in the bed to face him.

"You don't have to say anything, I would do it again, and again. Bellatrix would have killed you." She held out a hand to him, the other holding up the sheet. He wrapped her much smaller hand in his and sucked a breath, his stormy eyes locked on her face before drifting to the hand fisted in the sheet.

"I don't understand you." He exhaled, his eyes lingering on hers and she shrugged, a smile on her face.

"No one does, I think it's quite exciting, don't you?" She winked and scooted forward so she was knee to hip with him, her body pressed close to his.

"I find it frustrating." He breathed, his face coming closer to hers, his breath caressing her lips and chin. She realized, however momentarily that his long hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck with a thick white ribbon and she reached around to untie it, allowing the untreated, presumably recently washed, locks to fall around his face in silken strands.

"Who would have thought your hair could be so soft." She exhaled, the tip of his nose brushed hers and she lay back, watching as he descended above her, as though their bodies were moving in slow motion.  
"Without so much sleek-eazy it is very soft." She brought her hand back up and ran her fingers from the root to the tip of the strands that hung all around them.

"Peculiar witch."

"You still have not found one to match your own title of old prat." She smirked, though her tone was huskier and less playful than she'd intended it to be.

He smirked.

"You were only recently injured, Ginevra, certainly you should not tempt me as such." Ginny shivered and continued to run her fingers through his hair, his nose was brushing hers again.

He was waiting, giving her the chance to kiss him and initiate things. Or, she could roll away and go to sleep.

Choices, choices.

She almost laughed at her own train of thought before she brought her lips up to his, working over them gently, so soft against hers. He exhaled through his nose, pressing down harder against her and his fingers fisting in her hair. The sheet she had been covering her upper body with shifted downward and she could feel the coarse fabric of his robes against the tops of her breasts, just above the silk of her bra.

"Ah, Luc." She moaned when he dipped lower, to her neck, kissing and nipped at the pale flesh.

He grunted his appreciation for the soft scent of her, the subtle sweetness of her skin on his lips and sank lower, his body stretched long over hers as he began to lay open mouthed kisses along her collar bone.

She hummed and dug her fingers into his hair, her nails dragging along his scalp gently and making him groan at the sensation.

He'd not fell so attracted to a woman, so completely interested in having someone in his bed in years.

Of course, he'd bedded his wife, it was what he was expected to do, but the fire, the passion had been lost in their first year. He'd tried, he'd attempted passion with the witch but she'd been to frigid, her willow form and bony edges making her even less appealing to him than her icy expressions and lack of sound.

Ginny moaned and he felt himself stiffen, the hard erection rubbed against his trousers and he wanted nothing more than to release himself and have his way with the witch.

He was also still acutely aware that she was a virgin, that she'd been untouched. Not to mention the fact that she'd been injured only moments before.

"Oh please." She didn't even know what she was begging for, she just knew he was the only one who had it and she needed it. She needed something with such a primal urge that it made her stomach clench.

"Ginevra, you've been injured, I can't, I just don't believe this to be the right time." He breathed out, breaking away from her soft chest and groaning at the loss of contact. Merlin and Circe he wanted this witch, and he was pulling back.

Such a fool was he.

"No." She exhaled, her eyes snapping open and catching him in a hard gaze.

He gave her a questioning look, his brow furrowed and Ginny steeled herself, holding on to her courage.  
"You don't need to feel like this is something that has to be done now, Ginevra. We have time, so much time."

She shook her head, her eyes flickering open and closed briefly.

"I don't feel like it's something that has to be done. I want to." She turned her eyes back to him, feeling her resolve wavering.  
"When I saw her, that bitch, standing over you, and I knew what she was doing…" She inhaled sharply. "No one else mattered Luc, I love you, I want to be with you, I don't ever want to feel like I'm going to lose you again."

He was staring at her with a strange look on his face, stormy eyes wide as he observed her, her chest heaving as she turned her face away from him.

"Ginny…" Her face whipped back to his fast enough she was surprised it didn't make her dizzy.

"Ginevra, it's Ginevra to you, never say that again." He smirked, his eyes sparkling with something else. They had to be the most erratic couple she'd ever seen, hot and cold, back and forth, complicated.

"Ginevra, I find that I feel very affectionate toward you as well, that said, shouldn't we wait?"

"Why?" She cocked an eyebrow. He paused, still lingering above her, his eyes locked on hers.

"Well, because…"

"You haven't got a good reason, have you?" She snorted and he shook his head, blonde hair tickled at the sides of her face.

"I suppose you have me there, if this is really what you want…"

"Well, the moment is kinda lost now, since you couldn't help but open that big mouth." She smirked, giggling when he tickled at her sides.

He stood, looming over her in the bed for a moment and she smiled.

"You really love me?"

"Most definitely." Her smile softened as she watched him walk away.

 _Affectionate feelings_ , she snorted internally, _wizards…uggh._


	24. Twenty Three

It was march, the weather was nice and Ginny sat outside, her legs stretched out long in front of her and her head in the grass, eyes staring up at the sky. Winter had retreated surprisingly early this year, not that she, or any of the other students were complaining about it.

Her back had healed exceptionally well, leaving on a two long, pale white scars that slashed across her skin. She glanced beside her at Hermione, who also lay in the grass, she could see the slight bulge of the other witch's pregnancy and smiled to herself. She knew her friend was happy, despite the seemingly imminent threat that hung over their heads.

Bellatrix was angry, and she was on the loose, two things that did not bode well for either of them.

"Are you staying with Lucius again this weekend?" Hermione questioned, tipping her head toward her and Ginny gave her a broad grin and a nod. I am, he's meeting me in Hogsmeade in an hour, he needed to finish some things at the Ministry.

"It's so strange, thinking of you being with Malfoy Sr."

Ginny laughed to herself, a bright smile still painted on her face. "He's amazing, I'm really happy to be with him."

"Have you two slept together yet?" Hermione asked, rubbing her stomach and giving her a pinched look. Ginny shook her head, her eyes flitting to her friend's hand before back to her face.

"No, we have had to spend nearly every weekend with mum and dad, this will be the first we've had alone together in months." Hermione laughed, a light sound that lifted Ginny's heart.

"I know, Sev won't let me out of his sight." She rolled her eyes.

"I heard that, I am still present you know." He grunted from his position a few feet away, leant against a tree in the shade, reading a book.

"How could we possibly forget?" Ginny laughed and the dark wizard shot her a scathing glare.

"I would remind you that I can still remove house points for your attitude, Ms. Weasley." Ginny shrugged and gave him a sparkling look.

"There's that." She glanced to Hermione who was smirking.

"It was the man who is courting you who asked that I keep you in my sights, it was not a choice I made." Ginny snorted.

"Courting, he can barely stand the idea of doing more than kissing me."

"Far more information than I require, Ms. Weasley." Severus bit, Hermione let out a loud laugh before pulling herself to a seated position and glancing around.

"I have to pee." And she was off, dashing across the grounds.

Severus shot a look to Ginny.

"I'm not following her to the loo, you can go, I won't die here, I'm meeting Luc in Hogsmeade soon at any rate." She shooed him with a hand and watched him take off after his wife, his long strides bringing him to her side quickly. She smiled for Hermione when he put a hand on her lower back and walked her the rest of the way to the castle.

Standing herself Ginny brushed off her bum and made her way to the path to Hogsmeade, at seventeen, nearly eighteen she was considered an adult and perfectly allowed to leave Hogwarts grounds. In fact, if she so chose she could leave early as Fred and George had done, settling for the education she had but she just couldn't seem to do it.

N.E. wouldn't help her with quidditch, but she still felt like she had to achieve something, live up to Bill and Percy. She stroked the dragon charm that hung from her wrist and realized she'd made it to Hogsmeade. Her eyes lighted on a familiar blonde going into Honeyduke's and she followed.

She slunk in behind him, admiring the long blonde hair down his back and the firm shape of his bum before she snuck up behind him, her shorter stature making it easier to hide. She tugged a hair and almost laughed aloud as she hid behind a rack just before he could turn. He turned back around and she tugged the other side.

Lucius snarled something under his breath about obnoxious brats and went back to his waiting. She tugged a third time and he spun around so fast she was unable to hide again. He was sneering, until stormy eyes fell on her and she let out an excessively loud laugh.

"I missed you too." She pouted and he groaned, massaging his forehead.

"I should have known." He spoke, even as he opened his arms to her.

They left the shop twenty minutes later with every candy Ginny could ever want.  
"You're going to make me fat."

"Impossible, as an aside, I am quite fond of these curves." He snaked an arm around her back and pinched at the skin of her hip opposite him, she squeaked and jumped, giving him a look.

"Someone is in a good mood."

"How could I be in any other state?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you sick?" She immediately stuck a hand to his forehead and he gave a low growl, snapping at her and earning a wild laugh.

He grasped her arm and tugged her to him, allowing him to hold his arm so that she could side-along and spun into apparition.

The second they landed at the gates of Malfoy Manor his mouth was on hers.

They hadn't even made it inside yet and he was consuming her, he held her body flush against his, his arms tight around her back as he delved into her mouth, his tongue sweet from a jelly bean and his lips soft against hers as he explored her mouth. She nipped at his tongue, earning a low growl before he broke away from her, pupils blown, and scooped her into his arms.

She squealed a laugh and gave him a look, her arms hooked around his shoulders.

"Don't ruin the moment, Ginevra." He shot her a pointed look and she looked around, realizing she'd been looking into his face longer than she'd thought. She didn't even have a second to admire the grounds before they were inside the Manor and up the stairs, a house-elf shut the door behind them.

As soon as they were in his rooms, the door shut and warded he settled her to her feet and grasped either side of her face with his hands.

"Every weekend at your parents, wanting so badly to touch you and having to keep my distance." He groaned against her mouth before he kissed her again, his hands slipping down from her face to her neck, down her shoulders and finally to her hips. She moaned into the kiss when he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her flush against him. She could feel the sharp prod of exactly what she was doing to him against her lower stomach and moaned again, driving him forward.

His hands slipped up, quickly undoing her school robes and undoing them, casting them aside. He pulled back for only a second- long enough to tug her shirt up over her head and cast it aside as well, leaving her in a bra and jeans. She shivered in the cool air and he smirked.

"Don't worry love, I'll warm you up." She shivered again, for different reasons and tugged at his own robes, trying to even the score even as he reached around and unhooked her bra, dropping it to the floor and bringing his hands around to cup her breasts in a slow slide.

She cooed, and then moaned when he pinched her already hardened nipples delicately, a brazen, wicked smirk marked his face at the sound and she finally divested him of his robes and fine button up shirt.

"You are certain about this?" He pulled back, just long enough to look her in the eye. Long enough to get confirmation.

"Absolutely." She breathed, her lips skimming his before they dipped to his jaw and he made a sound, a low growl in his chest that reminded her of a purr as she worked her way down his neck to his collarbone. His fingers fisted in her red hair and she pressed her body against his, desperate for contact.

His fingers went to the button of her jeans and she stood on her toes to give her better access to his neck as he worked.

Finally, they were finally alone, and she was more than ready to be with this man.


	25. Twenty Four

Slender, soft fingers unfastened the button and zip of her jeans, helping her to shimmy them down her hips as she kissed at his neck, her eyes closed and her breathing rapid.

Nervous, she was incredibly nervous- which was a sensation she was not at all familiar with, constantly being in command no matter what situation she found herself in. She leant into Lucius further, needing the strength of his broad shoulders and the feeling of his own heartbeat nearer to bring her something, comfort maybe?

"Circe you are beautiful, Ginevra." He breathed, his lips ghosted across hers and down her jaw, to her neck and further down still. He dropped to his knees, large hands wrapped around her hips as he kissed down her abdomen to the line of her knickers.

He looked up at her, smoky eyes questioning and she gave a soft nod before he hooked his fingers in the lace and tugged them down. She gasped when he buried his mouth and chin in her red curls and kissed at the sensitive flesh of her mons, his tongue flicked out to find just the top of her slit and she squeaked, her fingers hooking onto his shoulders. His fingers were still digging into her hips, keeping her from thrashing backwards as he repeated the action, several more times, each time coming lower until he could no more because of her position.

He smirked this time when he pulled back and wrapped his fingers around to squeeze her bum, a satisfied look on his face.

"You, my dear, taste divine." She blushed bright red, her eyes pinched closed and he gave a deep chuckle, standing back to his feet and brushing his hands up her sides to her breasts, his fingers stopping to work at her nipples, little tugs that made her gasp and bite her lip.

She opened her eyes, soft brown heavily hooded with lust as she worked her way down his well-toned abdomen to the placket of his trousers and unfastening them with shaky fingers.

His own covered hers, slowing her actions and then a hand came up to nudge her face up to his, giving her a searing look.

"Lay down on the bed, this is your first time. There will be other times to focus on my needs." He moved her hand away and nudged her toward the bed with a hand to her hip. She wanted to argue, really she did, but how could she when he was giving her a look that made her blood run hotter and her skin tingle? She couldn't.

She gave a soft nod, not trusting her voice and shifted her way across the room to the bed, sitting on it and giving him a curious look.

What did he have in mind? What was she doing? This was an experienced man, someone who'd been married, had a child, who had probably had more _interactions_ than her slut of a brother.

She winced at the thought and tried to steer her thoughts in a different direction. As if he could sense her spiraling thoughts Lucius came and knelt in front of her, wearing only a pair of tight shorts and pulled her face up to look him in the eye.

"Don't overthink things, just enjoy yourself." His deep voice washed over her and she gave a nod, leaning forward to kiss him softly. He was sweet, as he always was, with a slight musk on his lips that made her equal parts uncomfortable and incredibly aroused as she realized exactly what it was that lingered there.

He groaned into the kiss, pushing her back so she lay on the bed, her legs dangling off the mattress on either side of his hips. She hummed, a strange sound bubbling up that turned into a moan as he deepened the kiss, plundering her mouth and moving his fingers across her body. Hands everywhere, he stroked her stomach, her ribs, her breasts, his hands bunched in her red hair and tugged her head back to give him access to her throat, her mouth hung open as she gave another moan.

His lips never fully broke contact with her sensitive skin as he worked his way down, kissing at her jaw and neck, down to her breasts again where he flicked his tongue out to taste her skin before coming down further.

Large hands pushed her knees apart and his groan could only be one of satisfaction as he stared at her apex, grey eyes shot up to catch her in their gaze, she'd been watching him as he moved down and she was stilled by the hungry look on his face.

"I am going to enjoy this Ginevra." He grasped the backs of her knees and pushed her legs up as far as they would go, she screeched at the first contact of his mouth, her eyes pinching shut as his tongue worked its way down the length of her, lapping slowly at first and making her hips squirm- much as her raised legs would allow, at least.

Slowly he worked his way from lapping to dragging his tongue in circular motions across the ever sensitizing bud of nerves at her apex, his groans and soft sounds making her moisture grow, her arousal so much more prominent in the deepest part of her abdomen. A snake, coiling heat in her stomach and squirming against her insides, begging to be uncoiled and set free.

"Luc!" She called his name loudly when his tongue jabbed at her core the first time, her muscles clenched and unclenched as he repeated the process, again and again, fucking her slowly with his tongue before coming up to give her a long look.

"Yes, dear?" He smirked, his full lips were moist with her juices and she groaned, tossing her head back.

"Please, please…" She begged, over and over, like a mantra and he smirked again, pushing her legs back further and catching them on one arm above his head. The other hand slipped down her thigh, playing at her bum for a moment before drifting up higher to her thoroughly moistened core. With a nip to her clit that made her hiss in pleasure he pushed the full length of his finger into her throbbing heat and hissed in pleasure at the tight walls around it, the soft tear of her virginity as he drove his finger as deep as it would go.

She gave a half-pained-half-pleasured moan but was immediately distracted from the pain again when he sucked her clit into his mouth and played at it with his tongue, his humming noises forcing little vibrations across it that made her skin crawl in the most delicious way.

She cried out when his finger began to move, brushing just barely across a place inside her that made her very bones shiver. He inserted another, still playing at her clit and holding her legs above his head and she groaned, her hips bucked against him as she sought friction, lights were dancing behind her eyes and the coil had grown so tight within her she simply knew it would snap, and soon.

Finally, with one last thrust of his fingers in time with the sharp suck of his mouth she cried out, every muscle in her body going rigid and fire dancing across her skin as her first orgasm tore through her. Lucius pulled his fingers back, lapping at her juices lazily as he slowly lowered her legs back to his sides and only pulled away when she gave a wild laugh and began to push at him.

He smirked looking up at her, the flush across her cheeks and the way her eyes were heavy, the hard breaths making her chest heave made his cock twitch desperately.

Ascending her body he helped her shimmy up the bed before standing and pulling away the shorts, his grey eyes so much darker and stormier than she'd ever seen them as she bit her lip and looked down. His cock was heavy, large and long stood so erect that it nearly brushed his stomach as he cocked an eyebrow at her.

It was obvious he took great care to keep the halo of golden hair that surrounded it perfectly trimmed and she could have snorted if she wasn't quite so spent.

Of course he kept himself up perfectly, it only made sense.

She chewed at her lip when he began to advance toward her, shorts gone and eyes locked on her form on the bed, she grasped the sheets as he crawled up over her and licked his lips free of any remaining juices from her own orgasm.

His mouth found hers, the kiss beginning intense, deep and heavy as his tongue slipped into her mouth and teased at hers, drawing another moan from her lips and slowly reforming that coil of need, his cock brushed at her sensitive entrance and she made a sound somewhere between a hiss and moan as it dragged across her even more sensitive clit. His eyes sparkled when he pulled back to look her in the face and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers buried in his hair as he moved a hand down between them to help guide him to her entrance. She cried out, a sharp discomfort at the rather large intrusion before her muscles slowly relaxed to accept him and he pushed further in.

Slow, enjoying himself, his eyes closed as he thrust into her slowly. He moaned her name when he found himself completely sheathed in her heat and she moaned in response to her name from his lips, her eyes pinched closed and her fingers buried in his hair. He ignored the dull ache in his scalp, knowing she was riding through her own discomfort.

He brought a hand up and stroked her cheek as he remained still, giving her time to become accustomed to him. She let out a breath, opening her eyes and he gave her the most loving look she could remember receiving from anyone, ever.

"You're doing so well, Ginevra." He bent to kiss her, pulling back a bit and pushing forward again, she gasped, bringing her hips up to meet his and he smirked into the kiss.

Certain she was ready he began slowly, rocking his hips, thrusting in and out of the witch whose head fell back exposing that beautiful neck to him. His lips and tongue paid homage to it as he rocked back and forth, drawing out further and further with ever thrust and relishing in the way her hips snapped up to meet his when he drove himself forward again.

Soon she was moaning.

"Harder, harder, oh Luc!" She cried, several times in a row, another mantra as he drove himself harder, faster into her sweltering core, he could feel his erection growing thicker, firmer with every contraction of her walls, reaching the height of his arousal as he fucked himself in and out of her, her body one with his. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, running down his neck and back as well as he gave her his all, thrust after thrust until she came again, her orgasm shaking her walls around him and forcing him to slow lest he finish as well.

He wanted to draw this out, enjoy her first time, his first time with her.

He had no doubt there would be many more. In fact, he would be hard pressed not to fuck her every chance he had, he thought, now he'd had her.

"Ah." She groaned, as he began to pick up pace again, her exhausted body still meeting his as he began to thrust harshly into her again, wanting nothing more than to fuck her into the mattress as hard as possible.

She cried out, her nails digging into his back and making him hiss in a mixture of pain and pleasure that brought him to completion.

Hot come filling her Ginny moaned at the foreign sensation and tried to catch her breath, her eyes closed as she lay back into the pillow. Lucius' body was draped carefully across hers, not quite ready to move and the heavy scent of sex and sweat filled the air. She felt sticky and uncomfortable but so entirely sated.

No wonder Ronald was a sex addict.

She brushed her fingers through his hair, and he pulled back to look up at her, stormy grey eyes locked on her own before he pulled up to give her the longest, most gentle kiss she could remember every receiving from him.

He rolled off of her when his lips had had their fill and moved to stand, legs shaking slightly from the exertion, or perhaps the intense nature of their coupling. He offered a hand to her, his eyes drawing down her exposed body one more time before she took it and he helped her up.

"A shower is in order, I believe." He smirked at her dazed look.

"Together?"

"I hardly see why not." He drew her into the adjoined restroom and settled her against the sink before he turned and began fidgeting with the knobs, bringing the heavy spray of water from straight overhead to life and gathering her in his arms, kissing her once more before scooping her up and bringing her into the shower with him.

She groaned at the tense pain in her groin when he settled her on her feet and gave a breath of relief when the warm water began to cascade down her body.

The soap she kept in his home was in his hands and he began to lather it across her front, his hands paying delicate attention the junction of her hips, gently caressing her as his lips came down to kiss her desperately under the flow of the water. He spun her to wash her back and wrapped his hands around her front, pulling her back flush against his.

His lips kissed at her neck delicately as he held her, no speaking, only silence under the flow of water as she rested back against him and enjoyed the feel of him wrapped around her.

When they finally broke apart she returned the favor and washed him, stroking his firming erection in a small hand until he came in a hot spurt across her stomach that was immediately washed away by the hot water. He kissed her again, shoving her against the wet tiles of the shower and she moaned into his mouth, her lips desperate against his before he pulled away with a smirk.

"Bed, you look exhausted."

"Bossy." She muttered with a tired smile and he smacked her bum with a chuckle as he helped her step out and wrapped her in a soft towel.

He helped her to dry first before drying himself and turning back the sheets with a flick of his wand, a warming charm dancing across the freshly changed sheets. Ginny shook her head, his house elves were incredibly quick.

When they were both nestled in the covers he pulled her body back flush against his, both still entirely nude and Ginny didn't even have a chance to speak as she drifted into a deep sleep. Comfortable, happy, and feeling as though she was right where she belonged.

Lucius stroked her hair back from her face for a few moments, his eyes on the side of her face.

He'd had to stop himself so many times while she was awake, while they were in the throws of passion.

Still, he knew, he knew the second it first bubbled up in his throat and he'd had to shove it down that it was true. "I love you, Ginevra." She shifted, cooed in her sleep, but didn't wake.

All too soon he found himself losing the battle against sleep and drifted into peaceful dreams.


	26. Twenty Five

Ginny smiled dreamily as she made her way to Gryffindor tower, her face still flushing every time she thought of her evening, and then the repeat performance she'd been given that very morning.

Her thighs ached, something deep that only served to make her want to run back to him when she thought about the reason for that ache.

"You finally did it." Hermione sidled up to her, giving her a knowing look that she returned with a groan and blush.

"Is it that obvious? Why didn't you tell me it was so fantastic sooner?" She laughed, rubbing the back of her head and Hermione gave her a coy smile, her eyes sparkled.

"I didn't know until the night I was married. As an aside we've both been quite busy." She smirked, an action that reminded Ginny dangerously of Hermione's husband.

"We have, we need to have a girl's night, catch up and all that." She grinned and Hermione gave a nod.

"I think that sounds like a great idea! We have classes tomorrow but perhaps Friday, you could still leave to see Lucius on Saturday? Or will that cut into your private time?" She waggled her eyebrows and Ginny felt the heat rush to her face, making the tips of her ears burn.

"I'm sure he can spare me for an extra night. I miss spending time with you." She admitted as they crawled through the portrait hole. It was nearly curfew and Hermione would have rounds soon, now she was reinstated as Head Girl and as a student. Lucius withdrawing his laws had made it easier for them to bring back all muggleborn students.

Unfortunately, there were still those in the ministry that wanted to see them gone, Ginny knew he didn't fight adamantly against them, but he would not aid them either.

It was his way of showing his loyalty to her and it warmed her heart, knowing he could give up that little piece of himself.

He didn't need to fight for the rights of muggleborn witches and wizards, he only needed to stop fighting against them. He'd stopped the insults, she took it for what it was worth, the wizard was deeply involved in the movements to maintain blood purity, and Ginny was nothing, if not a realist.

She knew he was doing what he could to remain neutral, she also knew it was incredibly uncomfortable for him.

It was for that reason she made certain to inform him as frequently as possible how proud she was of him.

"Help me with my charms work, then?" Ginny asked Hermione who gave a wide smile with sparkling eyes at the suggestion.

"Good to see you focusing on your education!" She cheered for her and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"If only we could get them to do the same." She motioned to her brother, wrapped around Rose Potter with his tongue down her throat on the sofa not far from them.

Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"I don't know how that girl's jaw hasn't fallen off yet."

"He must give her at least one day off, don't you think?" Ginny was watching them, her own nose wrinkled and her eyebrows in her hairline.

"One would hope, but I'm afraid it doesn't seem so." Hermione laughed and Ginny shook her head.

"Insanity, pure insanity."

"I can hear you, you know." Ron broke away to glare at the two who burst into fits of giggles and covered their mouths with their hands. Rose had a dreamy look on her face, the same Ginny could recall sporting several times.

"Let the girl breathe, Ronald!" Ginny crowed, a pillow was launched across the room and she ducked it, laughing and jumping off the sofa she and Hermione had settled upon.  
"I think we should take our homework session to the dorms." Ron shot her another glare and she got a wicked glint in her eye.

Hermione made an 'o' face, knowing exactly what that look on her friend's face meant.

"Come now Ron, even Lucius gives me a break once in a while." She cackled, and took off running up the stairs that turned into a ramp when Ron followed.

"I'll kill him for touching my little sister!" He crowed and Ginny waggled her eyes.

"Oh, he's done a lot more than touch." Ron's roar was the last thing she heard as she dashed into her dorm room.

LMGW

Ginny glanced around Hogsmeade confused, her eyes flicking this way and that.

It was rare Lucius sent her a letter asking her to meet him in the middle of the week, even harder to get out of the castle and slip to Hogsmeade for a quick visit. Still, she'd found a way, using the Marauders Map, Harry had found, that had belonged to his dad, and some very useful sneaking skills she'd learned from Fred and George.

Now she was here though and she couldn't see him anywhere.

It was strange, he'd asked her to meet him in a very secluded place, as well, instead of the Hogshead Inn where they typically met up.

She glanced around again, her eyes squinting in suspicion.

She should have been suspicious when she'd received the letter. Now it was too late, she was here, and he was not.

She felt her heart pound, beating a rhythm against her ribcage that felt strangely violent. She sucked a breath, her eyes wide as she looked around again.

It was suddenly cold, and there was a knot in her throat. She crumpled the letter and made to leave, moving as quickly as she could before she was hit, rather forcefully in the back by a silent spell.

It knocked her forwards, the air flying from her lungs and she barely had a chance to make a squeak before she was lying face down on the ground. She raised her head, her body stinging from the scrapes and grasped her wand quickly, rolling to deflect the next spell that came at her.

It was when she saw Bellatrix that she knew she was absolutely screwed.

She was no match for the witch, no matter how much she wanted to be, and she knew it.

Still though she cast a shield charm and did the first thing she could think of.

"Expecto Patronum!" She called, the familiar corporeal form of her Patronus danced its light in front of her eyes. The horse stamped at the ground and she gave it a broad smile.  
"Lucius, it was Bellatrix."

She didn't know if she would die at that moment, she didn't know what would happen, but she knew he needed to know who it was, he could tell Hermione, her parents, he'd become deeply involved in her life.

"Go, find him." She sent it off just as another spell came crashing toward her, the shield charm couldn't hold and she found herself pounded back into the ground, her skull ached from cracking off the cobbled road.  
"Bitch…" She hissed and cast a haphazard 'expelliarmus' and attempt, even if she couldn't see straight.

And then she was hit again, her vision blacked around the edges and she took deep, heavy breaths. Her eyes closed and she could only hope the mad witch either killed her, or left her for dead.


	27. Twenty Six

Ginny woke, feeling nauseated and irritable as she glanced around. The air was cold, and stale, and it took her eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark before she realized she was in a dungeon, much like the one in Malfoy Manor.

Her stomach heaved and she cried as her throat contracted with dry retches, her eyes watering.

"Awwe, poor wittle blood traitor, is she feeling sick?" Bellatrix cooed from above her, taunting and Ginny heaved again, her arm wrapped across her stomach.

"Shut up…" She groaned when the retching finally stopped again, her forehead against the cool- if not a bit damp stone of the floor she was curled up on.

"No!" Bellatrix crowed, her wild eyes locked on the redhead's slumped form. "You and that mudblood are consistently in the way of my plans!"  
"You will pay…" Her voice dropped to a low hiss, face coming closer to Ginny's as she crouched on the floor.

"You're just mad because you lost Luc's money." Ginny hissed, clutching her stomach and heaving again. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd been hit by plenty of spells and her body had never once rebelled as it was this time.

"He'll come running back as soon as you're gone, done away with! He'll understand just what a waste of his time you were!" The mad, dark haired witch cackled, Ginny's eyes were pinched shut and she flinched when the door slammed shut behind her, marking her exit.

She raised up on her knees to look around and groaned, it was dark, and cold, and damp. She wondered how long she could hold out in such a place with her stomach writhing as it was.

LMGW

The patronus had been nearly non-corporeal when it arrived in front of Lucius in his office. Immediately stormy eyes had locked onto the form of a horse, barely visible, stamping it's hoof in front of him.

"It was Bellatrix…" Ginevra's voice broke from the wispy image just before it vanished entirely and his entire body went rigid.

Bella had Ginevra?

"Merlin." He grunted and stood, his chair scraping backwards against the smooth marble of his office floor.

He would kill the bitch, or subdue her and allow Ginevra the honor.

First, he needed to get help, he was certain there would be death eaters all over Lestrange property, those who were left after the Dark Lord had been disposed of years earlier, at least. He knew that was the biggest issue for Bella, the loss of her Lord.

"Mad-bitch." He massaged the place on his forearm that had housed the dark mark for so many years and strode to the hearth quickly.

He would speak with Severus and his wife, they would be able to help him, at least- he hoped.

LMGW

Lucius nearly growled as he stood on the outskirts of Lestrange Manor, he was angry and only grew more so as he thought about Ginevra in there, suffering. He was joined by several members of the order as well as his witch's friends.

Severus was there, but he'd denied Hermione's requests to come, finally subduing her by pointing out that if she lost the baby they would both regret it forever. It had silenced her rather quickly, Lucius noted.

Ginevra's parents were there as well, Molly and Arthur looked ready to kill, George and Fred Weasley had joined them, Harry Potter and his sister Rose, Lupin and Black were there on Hermione's orders, and a young woman was holding Lupin's hand, Tonks, he thought her name was, he believed she was related to his former wife somehow, not that he much cared.

He cared only about having Ginevra back, and in his arms.

He swore he would never let her out of his sight again if they got her back in one piece.

"If they still plan to use her to get Hermione, she will be fine." Severus tried to give him some sort of comfort, he shot a stormy look to the man, only a few years younger than himself.

He couldn't believe the way they'd grown apart, when they'd been younger Severus had been desperate to join the Dark Lord. Then they'd found themselves on opposite sides of a war because of the mudblood, now thy were friends again, somehow finding themselves joined by the women they chose to keep company with.

The world was a strange place.

"She will be fine or I will kill Bella." He grunted, his voice dangerously quiet, Severus gave a nod and Lucius could only assume the other man understood where he was coming from. If they'd hurt her in any way he would kill them, and it would be as simple as that.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Fred, or George? He wasn't really sure, spoke.

"Let's get our little sister!" The other one, George, or Fred? He still couldn't tell exclaimed and they were met with a round of nods and agreement.

Lucius heaved a breath.

He had to agree, he needed her back in his arms, now.

LMGW

"Give me my wand and fight me like a real man." Ginny hissed, her forehead was bleeding, or maybe it was her eyebrow? She wasn't sure but the blood was running down into her eye and making it sting and burn. The man she knew to be Greyback was snorting a laugh, his gaze never leaving her as she shuddered on the floor and fought to stand again.

"Still have an attitude I see, I cannot wait to beat it out of you." She grimaced. This wasn't the type of fighting she was accustomed to, this wizard- werewolf- he didn't use his wand, instead he liked to use his claws, his fists, he was violent. So much more violent than anyone she'd ever encountered in her life.

It didn't help that her stomach was still in tatters, her abdomen aching. She hissed a breath as she finally came fully to her feet and glared at him, her left eye closed, swollen and burning.

"Good luck, I suppose you'll shake me around like a chew toy, puppy?" She forced a laugh, half-hearted and scratchy.  
"No, not cute enough to be a puppy, just an everyday mongrel, aren't you? Pure mutt, bet your mum was everyone's bitch, all over the block, even know who your dad is, mutt?" She knew she was goading him, she knew he may kill her.

She wasn't going down without a fight though. She was Ginevra Molly Weasley after all. She was a pureblooded witch, she was best friends with a woman who had changed the very course of time, and she was in a relationship with Lucius Malfoy, she consistently defied odds.

This odd would be no different. She would defy the wolf-man, she would survive, and then she would lay in Luc's fantastic bed for a week and drop out of school and enjoy the rest of her life.

He slapped her, careful not to drag his claws across her face and knocked her to the floor again.

She hissed at the contact of her hip against the cold stone and pulled herself to stand again.

"I'm going to fuck you into the floor before I kill you, mouthy little bitch." He snarled, pushed her by her shoulders and landed roughly on top of her.

She was aware of a high-pitched scream, she was aware of the stone digging into her back and spine, she was aware of so much, but somehow, she felt like she wasn't in her body anymore.

She fought, she clawed, her hands flailed at his face and her throat was sore and angry as the screeching continued and she realized it was her own cries meeting her ears. Everything seemed to slow to a crawl before time picked up and began to move so quickly she wasn't sure where she was anymore. She gagged on his putrid breath near her face and kicked.

His legs pinned hers and his lips jammed themselves down on hers.

"Maybe I'll bite you, make you a mongrel like me, keep you as my bitch forever." He growled into her face and tears started streaming down her cheeks, she tipped her head, fighting to keep his mouth away from hers.

She was faintly aware that she'd begun to chant 'no' over and over as she squirmed and wiggled. He took both her slender wrists in one hand and gave a dark laugh as he snaked his hand between their bodies and began to unfasten the belt that held his trousers up.

Before he could slip it from its loops the dungeon door slammed open and Ginny closed her eyes, the hiccupping sobs coming freely now as she tipped her head to the side and went limp.

"Oi!" She knew that voice, she turned her wide eyes to the door.

"Get off our sister!" It was Fred and George, crowding into the doorway and she gave a wild peel of relieved laughter. She knew they weren't in the clear yet.

"Yeah, before we make your face even more messed up!" George, she couldn't help the tears that were still trailing down her face.

"He's mine." A cold voice hissed from behind them, her brothers parted as Greyback hauled himself to his feet and off her slender frame. Lucius stood, blonde hair wild around his face, typically pristine robes disarrayed, and the most dangerous look on his face she'd ever seen.

She was suddenly aware of the sounds of crashing and fighting from the Manor above them and she crawled backwards towards the wall. The deadly look in her wizard's eyes should have been enough to send Greyback running, tail tucked. Instead he gave a wild laugh and she had to wonder if almost all of the Death Eaters were completely mad.

Fred and George rushed to her side and hugged her in unison, she buried herself in their arms, peeking over to see Lucius sneering at the man in front of him.

"Bring it on, pretty boy." Greyback snarled, Lucius cocked a pristine blonde eyebrow and wet his lips, stormy eyes such an incredibly dark grey that it made Ginny's stomach burn heat.

She couldn't help but think he was incredibly attractive, all mussed and dark glares.

"Get him Luc." She hummed, still wrapped in her brothers' embrace. She had every confidence in her wizard, he was more than capable of handling Greyback, no matter how pretty he was.


	28. Twenty Seven

Knowing he would get nowhere near the angry former death eater without his wand Greyback drew it, just in time for it to be knocked from his hand by a quickly cast expelliarmus.

And then he was seeing black as he was assaulted with some of the most painful curses in Lucius' repertoire things he would never have imagined needing to use after the death of the Dark Lord.

Greyback tried to get to his wand, crawling across the floor and trying to grab it away from the cold stone. He was unsuccessful and soon Lucius stood over him, seething, grey eyes almost as black as Snape's with rage.

He could feel it, burning inside him, he knew what the bastard had been attempting to do, to his witch, his Ginevra, and it made his skin crawl. It made him sick with rage. His, she was his. He adored the little witch, loved her from somewhere deep within that he would never have admitted aloud before she'd wormed her way into his heart.

He was going to kill him.

But not in front of Ginevra, his eyes flicked to hers, the glossy brown orbs wide and worried as he stared at her.

No, not in front of her.

He cast a quick incarcerous and strode across the room, leaving Greyback bound and cursing as he gently parted her brothers and pulled her into his arms, into his chest.

She sobbed, into his shoulder, her lips finding his neck and kissing him gently, it made a shiver run down his spine. He turned, Ginevra in his arms, her legs locked around his hips and began to walk out of the dungeon, his goal to get her as far away from there as possible, he would take her to Hermione before he looked her over.

She'd been in their dungeon for a little more than a week, there was no knowing how it had impacted her, if they'd fed her, she could be dying in his arms.

"I would have fucked her Lucius, how does that make you feel." Greyback growled a laugh and he stopped, his back rigid as he set the witch on her feet and turned, dipping so he was right in the other man's face, putrid breath cascading across his senses.

"It makes me feel, that were she not here, I would have flayed you alive, left you begging to be killed whilst your _special_ cells continually regenerated. I would have laughed as you cried your agony, never having relief and always thirsting for an end to the pain. And then, then I would have ripped away your entrails slowly, taking them bit by bit until they were coiled at my feet so that I could stomp on them. I would have saved your heart for last, mongrel, and that I would have ripped out with my bare hands, and while your still active body writhed I would have shoved it in your mouth to give you that one last taste of blood."

George…Or was it Fred? Shuddered beside him as he stood, slamming the wolf's head back into the cold stone and walked away, leaving him alone with the two redheads.

"Well, we won't be doing that…" One of them, he'd given up on figuring out which spoke.

"…But we do have some products we'd love for you to test for us, mate." The other chuckled.

Lucius scooped the shivering witch into his arms when he made it back to her and ascended from the dank dungeon. She'd be lucky if he ever let her leave his bed again, after this.

LMGW

Ginny watched as Madame Pomfrey ran her wand across her again, checking her vitals one last time as she sat up in the bed and gave the medi-witch a long look.

"So, if I'm okay, I'd really like to go now." She cleared her throat, she was trying to remain calm, really she was, but she was almost certain she would die if she didn't get out of the hospital wing, and Hogwarts, right then.

She'd made her intentions known, she wanted to quit school. But Luc had talked her into staying, talked her into finishing her education and she, despite her resistance knew she should.

"How have you been feeling this last week? Weak, nausea, cramping?" The medi-witch questioned and Ginny shrugged, of course she'd felt those things, she was in a dungeon, hit by a thousand different hexes.

"Yes, but it's all been fine since they came for me." She thought, at least three days with none of those symptoms.

"Good, good." The medi-witch looked troubled but said no more and gave her permission to leave, she was out of there like a shot, as quickly as her legs could carry her.

They'd informed her, when they'd arrived at Hogwarts, that several of the Death Eaters had been caught and were in ministry custody, those that escaped however, were still on the loose and as such she and Hermione had been cautioned to be very careful.

Draco was also on the list of those who were not allowed out and about without an escort but- he had Harry, and she highly doubted Harry would be letting anything happen to his beautiful blonde boyfriend.

She chuckled to herself at the thought as she made her way up to Gryffindor tower and sank into her bed. She was exhausted, she had been for the days since she'd been sprung, and she knew that had to be it, she was just recovering from being kidnapped, tortured, starved, all of that.

She exhaled when she was tucked under her covers and decided a nap was in order. It was Friday, she'd gone to her classes for the first time since her abduction and she had a lot of work to catch up on but she wasn't bothered by it. She would be going to see Lucius the next day, he was typically willing to help her with her work, if she asked nicely…


	29. Twenty Eight

A week passed in a blur and Friday was upon her again. On top of being tired she'd begun feeling incredibly nauseated, every time she caught a whiff of the great hall she was forced to run for the loo, desperate not to start dry heaving again.

There was nothing left in her stomach yet still it contracted quite uncomfortable. Her gag reflex was on the frits.

It wasn't until Hermione joined her in the restroom, vomiting into the stall right next to her that she paled and fell back against the stall door.

"Hermione…" She trailed, her eyes wide as she leant against the cool stall.

"This isn't quite the time, I don't think, Gin." Hermione gagged, sending Ginny into a gagging fit herself and when the curly haired witch stopped she could hear her lean back and heave a breath.  
"Oh Ginny." She heard her open the door and slip out before she was behind her, helping her off the floor and toward the sink.

"How far along were you when you started vomiting?" Ginny didn't really want to hear the answer, she just had the flu, Hermione was pregnant.

She counted on her hand- she and Luc had been together for the first time, and several more after that on that weekend- and then four days later she was taken to the dungeon, she was there for a week and two days.

That was nearly two weeks, and then she was out for nearly a week, so almost three weeks, and now it had been a week since she'd last seen him.

She ran back into the stall, this time heaving for an entirely different reason. She didn't miss the amused look on Hermione's face in the mirror when she turned to flee.

She heard the water running, the other witch washing her mouth out and then brushing her teeth before she rejoined her at the sink.

"Well, I guess we always did want our kids to grow up together."

"Would you like for me to perform the test, I became quite adept at it while Severus and I were trying." Hermione smirked, a smirk that looked too much like her husband's for Ginny's taste and she nodded.

"Lucius is going to lose his mind." She hummed while nodding, waiting for the wave of the wand. The tip glowed bright blue and Ginny staggered.  
"Well, mum was looking forward to pretty grandchildren." She felt woozy, and cold. She looked at herself in the mirror and she was pale, obviously so with the very happily pregnant Hermione nearly glowing next to her.

"It will be fine." She tried to soothe, wrapping her arm around her shoulders, Ginny tried to breathe but failed miserably and buried her face in her hands.

"It's so new, and he was just opening up to me, what if he shuts down now? I can't believe I let this happen." She gasped, trying to catch her breath, Hermione stroked her shoulder.

"No, now don't act like that, this is not a bad thing, it's good! And if he isn't ecstatic then he's the biggest moron in the world, who wouldn't want to have babies with the fabulous Ginny Weasley? And it's as much his fault as yours, you aren't the only one who knows contraceptive charms." The bushy haired brunette said in a firm tone and Ginny looked up at her in the mirror, eyes sparkling.

"You're right, 'Mi, besides, he'll have so many uncles- he won't miss out on a thing if Luc reacts badly." She could feel herself calming down. What a good friend could do for a girl.

"And now I have someone who can't drink with me!" Hermione gave her a broad grin and she shook her head.

"Man, and I'd only just started drinking as well." She teased back before they wrapped one another in a tight embrace.

"Your stomach will start growing hard soon, you should poke at it and feel, it's really strange." Hermione chuckled, poked at her own, and wrinkled her nose. "See, try it…" She grabbed Ginny's hand and prodded at her stomach with it, it was hard under her fingers and she wrinkled her own nose.

"Oh, that's weird."

"I know!" Hermione gushed.  
"Oh! I'm so glad I have you to share this with now!"

"I have to tell Luc." Ginny breathed, feeling that familiar surge of panic bubbling again.

"It will be fine. He loves you, Gin, and if he loves you it will all be fine." She received another hug from the brunette and smiled into her shoulder.

Oh, Hogwarts may not be able to handle both of them pregnant, this could get dangerous.

LMGW

Ginny sat, fidgeting, on the edge of the bed she and Lucius shared when she spent her weekends with him, he was watching her, interest painted across his face and blonde hair falling forward. He was leant against the wall, all tall and broad, with his arms crossed across his chest and she heaved a breath.

"You have something you wish to tell me, Ginevra?" He cocked a pristine blonde eyebrow and she took another gulping breath, begging her lungs to register the action and stop making her feel like she was suffocating under his stormy gaze.

"I said that, didn't I?" She laughed nervously, leant back a bit, and opened her arms to him, brown eyes wide, he took his invitation. Kicking off the wall he approached her with a cautious glint in his eyes and knelt in front of her, letting her wrap her arms around his neck and lay her face against his shoulder.

He hooked his arms around her sweetly rounded hips and hooked his fingers into the robes that covered her back, holding her tight.

"If you're ending our relationship I am certain this is not the way to make me wish to let you go." He took a deep breath, raspberries and broom polish, she was the strangest combination of scents but it suited her so, and it suited him to smell it from her.

She gave a nervous little laugh, her fingers shifting through his hair, she knew he'd left it free of sleek-eazy for her, she loved to run her fingers through the soft, pale blonde locks.

It was one of her favorite past-times.

"You're ridiculous, old prick." She kissed the side of his face and pulled back- much as he would allow at least with his fingers hooked into her robes.  
"Not, I more thought you would be interested in ending our relationship when you find out what I have to say." He tensed, smoky grey eyes locking on hers, his mouth set in a grim line.

Ginny didn't even want to know what he expected her to say.

He probably thought the worst.

Bloody Slytherins, it seemed that was all they understood, worst case scenarios seemed to simply rush through their heads.

What would they do without Gryffindors to keep them positive? She laughed at her own train of thought and buried her fingers in his hair so he couldn't retreat. Two could play at that game, and he gave a low growl.

"You Slytherins are all the same, always jumping to conclusions." She shook her head, her lips dotting on his forehead, down the bridge of his nose before placing a delicate kiss on his lips. He exhaled sharply, nostrils flared, lips still set in that firm line.

"Well, out with it then, I hardly think I can stand the suspense much longer." He grumbled and she rolled her eyes, her fingers drifting forward to play at his lightly stubbled jaw and cheeks.

"I'm pregnant, Luc." She was startled by the way he lay his face in her lap, his shoulders shaking for a moment before he grasped her thighs in tight fingers and took a deep breath.

She ran her fingers through his hair for a moment, giving him time to adjust to the idea and cocked a red eyebrow at him when he raised his face again, several long minutes later, to look into her eyes.

His face was lighter than she'd expected and it shot a flash of relief through her system, right to her bones.

"Well, I knew I was partaking in quite dangerous activities with the daughter of one of the most fertile witches in the history of purebloods." He chuckled at the squint in her eyes.

"Dangerous, I thought you liked our activities." She muttered back, saucily. He chuckled and rose up higher to catch her lips with his, easing away any further concern she may have had.

"Ah, but now the question of your virtue is gone, your father will certainly have my head if I don't- do right by you, as they say."

"You don't have to do anything, Luc, I'll deal with papa if need be." She gave him a wearied look that he returned with sparkling grey eyes.

"You never make anything easy for me, do you?"

"I never will." She smirked, raising both eyebrows and he shook his head, crawling up and laying her back.

"Blessed am I to know how to silence you then, aren't I?" He muttered into her lips, his breath cascading across them before he caught her in another intense kiss. She smiled as she brought a hand up to cup his jaw and he deepened the kiss.

Merlin, he always did something new to make her love him more than the day before.


	30. Twenty Nine

"Why are you making this so difficult, Ginevra?" Lucius was staring at her, hard, his smoky eyes assessing her as she stood across the room from him, her arms crossed.

"I'm not going to marry you just because I'm pregnant, Luc." She insisted, her own eyes narrowed and her stance firm.

"You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met! I don't want to marry you just because of the baby." He growled, crossing the room to her, she moved, dodging away from him and moving to the other side of the room. He hissed his frustration.  
"When I catch you…"

"Tell me the reason then! If that isn't it." Her voice dropped off on the end and he sighed, coming closer to her more slowly.

She was young, she was scared, she was pregnant with his child.

He loved her, couldn't she see that? He wanted to be with her, he'd done so many things to make her happy, things he never would have in a million years otherwise.

"Ginevra." He breathed, he'd made it closer to her and he could see the cloud of tears in her eyes. She was shaking slightly, a weakness she rarely showed him and he pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms.  
"I love you. I want to be with you. Why must you make everything so much harder than it has to be?"

She laughed through her tears, snuggling closer to him and it lifted his heart.

"It's part of my charm?" She laughed through her tears and he pulled her back, kissing her gently on the lips and shaking his head when he pulled away from her.

"You are the most infuriating witch." He exhaled and she smirked at him.

"I know."

"I love you."

"You better."

"Brat." He grunted before turning her and pushing her back onto the bed. She squealed a laugh and gave him a long look.  
"Now, let's celebrate all of this wonderful good news."

She grinned up at him.

"I like the way you think."

LMGW

"I'm going to kill them both." Bella snarled, pacing the floor of her hideout as she plotted against the two witches who had made her life infinitely more difficult than it had to be.

She had plans. She had things she wanted to do.

The mudblood had ended her lord, made everything worse for her.

She stroked her daughter's head, her fingers soft in the girl's hair.

"Bastet. My sweet girl. You want to avenge daddy's death, don't you?" She cooed, the girl looked up, eyes that matched those of her father, Tom Riddle, gleaming.

"Of course I do, mum."

"Good, you are going to go to Hogwarts and bring the witch who started this all to me."

"The mudblood mum?" She was eighteen, years old, the daughter that idiot Rodolphus had never been able to give her. Her lord had though, given her the most beautiful daughter with deep black hair and sharp eyes.

"Yes, my sweet. Bring her to me, and don't be afraid to hurt her." She smirked, her daughter nodded before vanishing in a swirl of robes.

The power that lingered behind her stole her breath.

She was perfect.

LMGW

Lucius stroked his hand down her side, forcing a coo from Ginny's lips as she turned to face him. They were still in his bed, lying beside one another.

She stroked a hand down his chest, earning a groan before he flipped her, kissing down her neck to her own chest, his arms holding him carefully above her body.

She smiled up at him, fisting her fingers in his hair and drawing his face up to hers for a kiss. He was addictive. She loved the way his full lips moved on top of hers, the sharp line of his lightly stubbled jaw under her fingers.

His blonde hair tickled at her as he descended again, kissing across the tops of her breasts, between them, trailing down to her stomach where he held her hips in large hands and lay open mouthed kisses across the skin.

She sighed her pleasure. Happy she'd put up a fight with him. It was what made him do these things, so reverently.

Sometimes she wondered if she made it too easy for him, would he get bored?

He hoped not, and when he kissed her the way she did she had to think that he wouldn't

He loved her. He'd told her as much.

Climbing back up her body, his hips between the part in her thighs she sighed, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and grinning into his kiss when he thrust smoothly forward.

He filled her so nicely, her hips bucking up to meet his motions as he slid smoothly in and out, making her pulse jump every time he hit that spot she swore only he knew how to find.

She cried into their kiss, the full, long movements he was using driving her absolutely mad.

"I love you." She hummed, his lips hovered above hers, open, not quite kissing but not parted either. She breathed in his breath, sharp with firewhiskey and he grasped her around her back, pulling her up so that he- somehow- found his way deeper in her core.

"You're so perfect." He exhaled, his breath moving across her neck and shoulder as he kissed across the expanse of skin, her jaw, anywhere he could touch.  
"So bloody perfect."

She cried out, her orgasm shaking her walls at his soft words and sweet caresses. He carried on, moving at the same pace, consuming her, claiming her, making her body riot around him as the coil returned, sharper this time.

"Luc." She threw her head back, her hair tangling under her in the pillow, her eyes opened just in time to see his smirk as he watched her, grey eyes never leaving her face as he stroked a hand across her cheek, dropping to her neck and shoulder, her breast.

She fell back into the bed deeper, his thrusts growing more desperate, needy.

"So full…" She whimpered and he groaned, his face falling into the crook of her neck as she came again, shuddering around him and pulling his own hot seed out with a force that left him shaking on top of her.

When he finally regained his vision he lifted up, kissing her on the lips and rolled so that she was laying on top of him, she shifted so her head was on his chest and her panting breaths slowed some.

"I'm so happy you're having my child, Ginevra, I don't think you can understand how pleased I am. How grateful I am to have you." She pulled her face up, tiredly smiling at him and pecking a kiss to his jaw line.

"I'm happy it's you Luc. Even if you were a jerk in the beginning." She gave him a sheepish smile. He smirked, kissed her gently on the lips, and held her until both fell into a deep sleep.


	31. To be continued

Ginny woke with a start to the sound of the floo flaring, Lucius' arms were wrapped around her tightly. So tightly that she could hardly sit up to see who was in his house. Not that anyone could come in who wasn't welcome.

"Lucius! Get your perfect blonde arse down here now!" She recognized the bellowing voice to be Severus Snape and immediately her lover shot up behind her, looking around blearily. She laughed as she brushed the hair back from his face and gave him a tender smile.

"What's happening?" He looked around and Ginny couldn't help but sigh, he was the heaviest sleeper she'd ever met. And she'd lived with Ronald.

"I think something may be wrong, Snape is here."

"Snape?" His eyes went wide as the door to their room flew open, Severus looked a sight. His black hair was wild, his robes askew, his face ashen and worried. "Merlin's tit! What's happened now?" Lucius tugged the blanket up around Ginny's exposed torso. She rolled her eyes- it was more than obvious Severus was in no way interested in anything going on around him.

If anything he looked utterly distraught.

"Have you seen her? Have you seen Hermione?" He sounded desperate, broken, he stared at them hard and then down to the ring that circled his ring finger. "She's in pain, I know, I can't find her, Merlin, you have to help me find her." He was a broken man, he fell to his knees in the doorway as both stared at him with wide eyes.

"Bellatrix…" Ginny heaved a breath and grasped at the dressing gown that lay discarded in the floor on her side of the bed.

Lucius pulled himself from the sheets, slipping into a pair of silk boxers easily and crossing gracefully to the broken man in the floor. He crouched beside him, silvery eyes locked on the side of his face. He wasn't sobbing, but he looked shattered, his face a twisted image of pain and rage.

"We'll find her." He rubbed the other man's back, as if they'd never stopped being friends, as if they'd never ended their association all those years ago.

Lucius had named the man Draco's Godfather despite their falling out for a reason, after all. Because he knew the man would do anything to save those he cared for, that he would go above and beyond to fulfill the duty. That, and he couldn't trust any of the bloody Death Eaters he spent his time with to do it. Severus had accepted the Position via owl, they'd even spoken on occasion, though their friendship was strained at best.

Each having their own views at the end of the day.

That and the attack on the Granger household, that had certainly put a strain on their acquaintance.

"She's pregnant, you have to- we have to- gods what will I do without her…" He trailed, eyes on the floor and black hair dangling in his face.

"I need to call Harry and Draco."

"Please do, darling." Lucius nodded as she passed the two men in the doorway, she gave a sad look to the crumpled man in black before making her way down the stairs at a quick speed. She was worried sick, they needed to find her friend.


End file.
